The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Big 12 Championships
No. 3 Women's Swimming and Diving adds four victories on day three of Big 12 Championships
02.27.2009 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 27, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- No. 3 Texas captured four events on day three but saw its 26-point lead in the team standings vanish Friday evening at the 2009 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships at the Mizzou Aquatics Center.
With one day of competition remaining, Texas A&M now sits in first with 582 points, while Texas sits in a close second with 580 points. Missouri holds third with 395 points, and Kansas sits in fourth with 33 points. Iowa State is in fifth with 225 points, and Nebraska is in sixth with 194 points.
The Longhorns opened the evening by taking second with a new school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Freshman Karlee Bispo opened in 22.20 before giving way to Hee-Jin Chang, who split 21.90 on the second leg. Freshman Katie Riefenstahl followed in 22.53, and sophomore Brie Powers anchored in 22.30, as the relay produced a new school standard of 1:28.93. That mark beat the previous school record of 1:28.98 set by Colleen Lanne, Tanica Jamison, Kelley Robins and Erin Phenix at the 2001 NCAA Championships. Texas A&M claimed the event in 1:28.58.
Freshman Kathleen Hersey remained unbeaten this season in the 400 IM, where the conference record holder produced a winning time of 4:07.76. Sophomore Ashleigh McCleery took eighth in 4:19.07. Freshman Leah Gingrich won the consolation final in 4:13.80, and junior Alexi Spann took fourth in the "B" final in 4:19.78.
Chang led the Texas contingent in the 100 butterfly by taking second in 53.58. Senior Jacqueline Martin-Lacey placed seventh in 54.47. Sophomore Brie Powers took fifth in the "B" final in 55.46. Bispo scored her first conference title in the 200 freestyle, where she was victorious in 1:44.21. Riefenstahl placed sixth in 1:47.35, and junior Susana Escobar placed seventh in 1:47.36. Junior Traci Van Matre took eighth in 1:47.38, and sophomore Adrienne Woods placed sixth in the "B" final in 1:49.48. Sophomore Natalie Sacco placed seventh in the "B" final in 1:49.79.
Sophomore Carlye Ellis scored her first career conference title in the 100 breaststroke, where she was victorious in a personal best of 1:00.74. Junior Alexi Spann placed fourth in 1:01.91. Riefenstahl added a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 53.50. Senior Rebecca Orr took second in the "B" final in 55.37.
Senior Jessica Livingston scored her first Big 12 conference title in a springboard event when she capped the evening with 362.00 points in the three-meter event. Freshman Shelby Cullinan added 16 points for the Longhorns by taking third with 318.60 points. The fourth and final day of competition at the Big 12 Championships begins Saturday at 10 a.m. Central.
2009 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships
Day Three Texas Finals Results
200 Freestyle Relay
2 Texas - Bispo (22.20), Chang (21.90), Riefenstahl (22.53), Powers (22.30) - 1:28.93
(New school record)
400 IM
1 Kathleen Hersey - 4:07.76
8 Ashleigh McCleery - 4:19.07
9 Leah Gingrich - 4:13.80
12 Alexi Spann - 4:19.78
100 Butterfly
2 Hee-Jin Chang - 53.58
7 Jacqueline Martin-Lacey - 54.47
13 Brie Powers - 55.46
200 Freestyle
1 Karlee Bispo - 1:44.21
6 Katie Riefenstahl - 1:47.35
7 Susana Escobar - 1:47.36
8 Traci Van Matre - 1:47.38
14 Adrienne Woods - 1:49.48
17 Natalie Sacco - 1:49.79
100 Breaststroke
1 Carlye Ellis - 1:00.74
4 Alexi Spann - 1:01.91
100 Backstroke
2 Katie Riefenstahl - 53.50
10 Rebecca Orr - 55.37
Three-Meter Diving
1 Jessica Livingston - 362.00
3 Shelby Cullinan - 318.60
Three-Meter Diving (preliminary round)
10 Kathryn Kelly - 277.50
