Indiana University Athletics
Fast Times at Counsilman-Billingsley, IU Claims Nine Final Spots
2/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
February 18, 2005
Morning Session Quotes
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - No. 18 Indiana women's swimming and diving claimed nine championship spots in this evening's finals session at 7 p.m., in an exciting morning session at the 2005 Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championship in the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on Feb. 18. Overall, there were six A-cuts and 50 B-cuts recorded during the day.
"It was better today than yesterday," Indiana head coach Dorsey Tierney said. "We got some second swims. It looks like we're getting better every session. It's still not exactly where we'd like to be, but the only thing we can do is go up. That's the way I look at it."
In the opening event of the day in the 400-yard IM, Indiana advanced two Hoosiers into tonight's finals session as junior Kristen Bradley garnered the third-fastest time with a 4:18.98 and junior Lauren Lubus moved into the consolation heat with a 16th-place 4:28.47. Penn State sophomore Megan Palera snared the top-qualifying time with an A-cut 4:15.35, while Michigan freshman Justin Mueller touched in 4:17.49. Overall, six of the championship finalists posted B-cut times.
Joining Bradley, Palera and Muller in the championship heat will be Purdue sophomore Jennifer Merte, Penn State sophomore Claire Hawley, Wisconsin sophomore Andrea Wiesner, Penn State senior Larissa Kavchok and Wisconsin junior Anna Trinidad, while Michigan sophomore Sarah Anne Stein, Northwestern freshman Katie Braun, Northwestern junior Amy Muller, Illinois sophomore Jessica Rothenberg, Penn State sophomore Margy Keefe, Penn State freshman Sara DiNardo, Purdue junior Yvonne Laaper and Lubus will battle in the consolation group.
In the 100-yard butterfly, Penn State junior Amberle Biedermann posted a pool record with a first-place 53.81, while Wisconsin sophomore touched in 53.99 for runner-up status. Additionally, Michigan sophomore Kaitlyn Brady qualified third with a 54.30, while IU senior Erin Smith cleared the B-cut threshold with a 54.56. Along with the top-four qualifiers, Wisconsin junior Sarah Hernandez, Northwestern senior Christy Olin, Penn State junior Sarah Haupt and her teammate senior Jennifer Eberst will compete in the championship final tonight.
In the consolation heat, IU sophomore Annica Lofstedt, whose ninth-place 55.16 B-cut time also stands as the fourth-fastest effort in school history and is a personal best, will swim against Northwestern freshman Katie Braun, Penn State senior Lauren Semchyshen, Michigan State senior Tamberly Jones, Wisconsin freshman Jenny Gelden, Illinois junior Christina Brunka, Michigan freshman Wendy Shieh and Iowa junior Kelly Werner in the consolation heat.
Also of note, IU freshman Lauren Schrader recorded a personal-best time of 58.70 to take 49th-place.
In the 200-yard freestyle, the Cream and Crimson moved three more swimmers into tonight's session as junior Doherty Colgin registered the second-fastest time in school history (just .02 off the school record of 1:48.30 set by Tina Gretlund in 2003), with a 1:48.32 as the fifth-best qualifier of the day. Northwestern freshman Andrea Hupman touched first with a 1:47.69, while Michigan sophomore Lindsay Smith came in second in 1:47.69. Wisconsin senior Carly Piper was the third qualifier with a 1:48.10. Joining those four in the championship heat will be Michigan senior Amy McCullough, Penn State sophomore Lauren Preyss, Ohio State junior Nicole Maglich and Minnesota junior Kate Hardt.
In the consolation heat, sophomore Leila Vaziri was the ninth fastest with a 1:49.18, while fellow Hoosier sophomore Clarissa Wentworth moved on from the 15th-spot with a 1:50.16. Wisconsin sophomore Liz Klanderman, her teammate junior Emily Carpenter, Penn State freshman Molly Crispell, Purdue sophomore Katharine Telfer, Illinois sophomore Barbie Viney and Purdue sophomore Susan Hentschel will also swim in the small final. Notably, IU sophomore Meghan Keefer shaved six seconds off her personal best with a 45th-place 1:53.80.
In the 100-yard breaststroke, Penn State pushed three swimmers into tonight's championship final with senior Courtney Stanchock, senior Kristen Woodring and senior Dee Dlugonski moving into the big heat. Both Stanchock and Woodring punched their tickets to NCAAs with A-cuts in the event. Wisconsin junior Amalia Sarnecki, Northwester senior Brielle Bovee, Michigan freshman Valeria Silva, Purdue freshman Jennifer Lavers and Minnesota junior Bridget McCoy will join them.
In the consolation heat, Illinois senior Trisha Lakatos, Purdue freshman Shannon Grace, Minnesota sophomore Julia Quinn, Purdue senior Tracy Duchac, Wisconsin sophomore Sierra Lewis, Illinois junior Kathryn Easey, Minnesota sophomore Erika Bjorklund and Minnesota junior Mary Patrek will compete for the bottom-eight bulk of points.
In the 100-yard backstroke, IU advanced two swimmers into this evening's session, Vaziri finished second with an A-cut time of 54.41, while Penn State junior Sarah Haupt claimed the top time in the prelim with a A-cut time of 54.39. Sophomore Susan Johnson of Wisconsin was third (54.42), followed by Iowa senior Jennifer Skolaski (55.13), Jennifer Eberst of Penn State (55.40) and Purdue freshman Jenae Gill (55.85). Junior Carolina Sierra of Michigan, 55.97, and junior Katie Wind of Minnesota, 55.98, rounds out the finals heat.
In the consolation heat, Kelly Werner of Iowa swam the ninth-fastest time of 56.35, followed by Northwestern's freshman Carrera Harris (56.54) and junior Katie Paglini (56.59), and sophomore Stephanie Fennell of Ohio State in 56.85. Sophomore Chelsea Frank of Penn State (56.85), sophomore Susanna Ernst of IU (57.56), Minnesota's sophomore Jenny Hasling (57.57) and senior Sara Shepherd of Penn State (57.75) close the consolation heat.
Next up, the Cream and Crimson continue the 2005 Big Ten Championships at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18 at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center in Bloomington, Ind., with preliminary performances in the three-meter.
