March 19, 2010
The Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team continued its bid for a fourth straight top 10 national finish with another strong day at the 2010 NCAA Championships on Friday at Purdue University's Boilermaker Aquatic Center.
After two days of action, the Aggies are sixth in the team standings with 216 points. A&M trails Stanford (266.5), Georgia (262.5), Arizona (259.5), California (256) and Florida (236). Rounding out the top 10 are USC (169), Virginia (110), Texas (87.5) and Auburn (87).
For the second straight day the Aggies posted a fourth-place finish in a relay. This time it was the 800-yard freestyle relay foursome of senior Kristin Heiss, senior Melissa Hain, freshman Julia Wilkinson grabbing fourth in a time of 7:02.55.
“Fourth place at the national championships is an impressive deal,” A&M head swimming coach Steve Bultman said. “All four girls had solid legs. Julia had a very good anchor leg and passed several people to get us to fourth.”
Divers Jaele Patrick and Janie Potvin both reached the Championship final in the three-meter springboard and combined to contribute 27 point to the Aggies' point total. In another Zone D regional rematch, Patrick scored 381.75 points to place third for the second straight night behind Minnesota's Kelci Bryant (415.50) and Houston's Anastasia Pozdniakova (406.45). Potvin took eighth with a score of 296.25.
“It was awesome to get both divers into the 'A” final,” Bultman said. “It was huge for Janie to get there and for Jaele to move up to third. The divers are definitely helping in the team standings. (First-year diving coach) Jay (Lerew) is doing a great job with them.”
Two Aggies earned evening swims and combined for 20 points in the 200 freestyle with Wilkinson in the Championship final and Heiss in the consolation race. Wilkinson was seventh after the first 150 yards but covered the final 50 in 26.24 to charge to third in a time of 1:44.12. Heiss was fourth in the consolation final (13th overall) in a time of 1:45.71.
The Aggies got off to a quick start by winning the consolation final of the 200-yard medley relay (ninth place overall) in the first race of the evening session. The foursome of freshman Alia Atkinson, senior Ella Doerge and junior Maria Sommer hit the wall first in a season-best 1:38.27.
Atkinson added 13 more points with a sixth place finish in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 59.91. Hain scored two points in the 400 IM with a 15th place finish in a time of 4:11.44.
In the morning prelims, senior Emily Neal was 32nd in 4:15.47 and junior Melanie Dodds was 38th in 4:16.44 in the 400 IM. In the 100 butterfly, sophomore Rita Medrano was 33rd in 53.82, freshman Kendra Chernoff was 36th in 54.05 and Doerge was 39th in 54.28. Freshman Maureen McLaine placed 43rd in 1:48.00 in the 200 freestyle. In the 100 backstroke, Simpson was 25th in 53.62 and junior Lindsey King was 34th in 54.24.