Katharine Ross Makes @MizzouSwimDive History With SEC 100 Breast Title

Friday, February 19

Columbia, Mo.

All Day

University of Missouri

SEC Championships

Katharine Ross Makes @MizzouSwimDive History With SEC 100 Breast Title

2/19/2016 9:36:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

Ross became the first Tiger swimmer in program history to win an SEC swimming title

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior Katharine Ross claimed Mizzou's first-ever Southeastern Conference swimming title as she won the women's 100 breast during day four action at the 2016 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday at the Mizzou Aquatic Center. Ross, who broke her own school record with a 58.38 in the evening finals, won the event by over a full second over the second-place finisher.

Before Ross' win, all three of the Tigers' three SEC titles came in the diving well, earned by David Bonuchi (1-meter and 3-meter) and Loren Figueroa (1-meter) at the 2013 Championships.

Ross made Mizzou history with a winning swim of 58.38 in the 100 breast championship final, a time that broke her old school record of 58.66. The Tigers picked up big team points in the race, as redshirt senior Abby Duncan tied for third in the event after a finals swim of 59.68. The duo improved on their SEC 100 breast finishes of fourth (Ross) and fifth (Duncan) from a season ago.

"I didn't necessarily expect to drop time here but being in a home pool is a huge advantage to me," Ross said. "I'm getting away from the whole mentality that you have to be rested to swim fast, so being able to hit my goals every meet wherever I'm at is big."

In addition to Ross and Duncan's top three finishes, junior Fabian Schwingenschlogl earned runner-up honors in the men's 100 breast and the women's 400 medley relay took third for a total of four podium finishes on the day.

With one day remaining at the Championships, both the men's and women's squads sit in fourth with 673 and 545 points, respectively. Florida leads the men's standings with 982 points, while Texas A&M is first in the women's standings with 847.5 points.

Schwingenschlogl led a Tiger charge in the men's 100 breast, where junior Eddie Mapel and Jordy Groters also tied for sixth. Schwingenschlogl notched a final's time of 52.13 for his second-place finish, while Mapel and Groters each went career best times of 52.85 to move into a tie for fourth all-time at Mizzou in the event.

Mizzou also went five-six in the women's 100 back championship final, as sophomore Hannah Stevens and junior Nadine Laemmler notched evening swims of 52.23 and 52.32, respectively, for fifth and sixth place. In morning prelims, Stevens broke Missouri's 100 back record with a 51.89 to unseat former Tiger All-American Dominique Bouchard off the top spot.

In the women's 200 fly, sophomore Sharli Brady swam in her second consecutive championship final and placed eight after a swim of 1:56.76.

Finishes of third and fourth, respectively, for the women's and men's 400 medley relay teams concluded swimming action on Friday. The Tiger women's team of Laemmler, Ross, senior Anna Patterson and Stevens went 3:31.29 for a podium finish. On the men's side, junior Carter Griffin, Schingenschlogl and juniors Andrew Sansoucie and Michael Chadwick touched in 3:06.84 for fourth.

In the diving well, all three Mizzou divers earned points in the men's platform competition. Senior Clark Thomas took 10th with 333.25 points, followed by freshman Kyle Goodwin in 12th (303.30) and sophomore Hunter Fritter in 16th (285.95).

Also in Friday action, Griffin (47.21) and senior Dillon Love (47.58) took 10th and 13thS, respectively, in the men's 100 back and senior Daniel Graviss placed 12th in the men's 200 fly in 1:44.81 and

Mizzou concludes action at the SEC Championships Saturday with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.

2016 SEC Championships Day Four Results

Women's 200 Fly
8. Sharli Brady (1:56.78 finals, 1:56.10 prelims)
26. Erin Metzger-Seymour (2:00.33)

Men's 200 Fly
12. Daniel Graviss (1:44.81 finals, 1:45.17 prelims)

Women's 100 Back
5. Hannah Stevens (52.23 finals, 51.89 prelims)
6. Nadine Laemmler (52.32 finals, 52.04 prelims)
23. Maddie Gehrke (55.03 finals, 54.70 prelims)

Men's 100 Back
10. Carter Griffin (47.21 finals, 47.69 prelims)
13. Dillon Love (47.58 finals, 47.33 prelims)
21. Grant Kelton (48.22 finals, 48.44 prelims)
28. Alex Walton (48.76)

Women's 100 Breast
1. Katharine Ross (58.38 finals, 58.98 prelims)
T-3. Abby Duncan (59.68 finals, 59.29 prelims)
18. Miranda Merkce (1:01.88 finals, 1:02.45 prelims)

Men's 100 Breast
2. Fabian Schwingenschlogl (52.13 finals, 52.26 prelims)
T-6. Jordy Groters (52.85 finals, 53.17 prelims)
T-6. Eddie Mapel (52.85 finals, 52.88 prelims)
12. Jordan O'Brien (53.75 finals, 53.98 prelims)
19. Michal Rokita (54.31 finals, 54.26 prelims)
22. Nick Staver (54.84 finals, 54.46 prelims)