Feb. 25, 2011
Another night at the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships yielded more record-setting wins by Texas A&M freshmen as Sarah Henry and Paige Miller made sure the Aggies kept the lead in the team standings on Friday at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Both Henry and Miller earned wins and broke school records, while leading Aggie parades of finishers in the 400 IM and the 100 backstroke. The Aggies had briefly lost the team lead to the Longhorns, but Miller's win and 1-3-4 finish by the Aggies in the 100 back in the last race of the day gave A&M the top spot in the standings heading into Saturday's final day. A&M leads with 635 points with Longhorns right on their heels with 628 points.
"Texas was ranked fourth in the country and I don't think people around the country gave us much of a chance this weekend," Aggie head coach Steve Bultman said. "We're right there. Texas is our rival and battling against them inspires us to swim faster. I was thinking back to when we first time we won and looking at us now and thinking how far we've come as a program. It's definitely a lot of fun, and tomorrow is going to be a great challenge for us."
Miller's win was no surprise after an eye-opening morning session that saw her break Julia Wilkinson's school record in the 100 back. Miller went 52.51 in the morning and then 52.65 in the finals for the win. She was trailed by teammates Tess Simpson (3rd, 53.22) and Lindsey King (4th, 53.24) in the Championship final, and Anna Heller (10th, 53.72) and Maria Sommer (14th, 54.83) contributed points in the consolation final.
The Aggies dominated the 400 IM as a team by grabbing the top three spots and four of the top five places in the race. It was a freshman duel with last night's freshman hero Cammile Adams grabbing the early lead after the fly, but Henry reeled her in on the breaststroke leg and went on to set the A&M and Big 12 meet record with a NCAA time of 4:05.48. Adams was right behind at 4:07.64, and junior Alyssa Conner was third in 4:10.51, which would have broke the A&M record prior to the arrival of Henry and Adams. Senior Melanie Dodds took fifth in 4:12.12.
Another freshman making noise was Breeja Larson, who set the school and Big 12 meet record in the morning and then placed second Big 12 overall record holder Laura Sogar of Texas in the final. Larson broke Alia Atkinson's record in the morning with a time of 59.27 and followed with a 59.32 in the evening session. Fellow freshman Erica Dittmer was third in 1:00.97, as she moved to No. 3 on A&M's performers list.
"We graduated some really good people and for Paige to come in and break Julia's (Wilkinson) school record and win a conference championship is pretty impressive," Bultman said. "Sarah re-broke her record in the 400 IM and also won a conference title. Breeja (Larson) broke Alia's (Atkinson) record, and when you break records set by NCAA Champions, not in those events, it's a big accomplishment."
The Aggies opened the meet with a record-setting time in the 400-yard medley relay that fell just shy of beating the Longhorns. The foursome of Paige Miller, Breeja Larson, Kendra Chernoff and Lili Ibañez turned in a time of 3:31.04, which is A&M's school record and would have set the Big 12 record if the Longhorn four hadn't touched in 3:30.52. Both times were NCAA auto cuts and rank No. 1 and No. 2 in Big 12 meet history.
In the one-meter dive, junior Janie Potvin finished second for the second straight year, and it took meet record from Missouri's Loren Figueroa to keep her from the gold. Potvin, runner-up to injured teammate Jaele Patrick last year, nailed a 57.20 on her final dive to briefly take the overall lead, but Figueroa took first with her final dive. Earlier in the day, junior Lorena Lujan took 11th with a score of 253.80.
Miller also shined in the 100 butterfly with a runner-up finish in 52.84, and she was followed by teammates Kendra Chernoff (3rd, 52.97) and Rita Medrano (53.41).
In the 100 free, the Aggies got a fifth place finish from Ibañez in 1:47.12, Hannah Kinder was eighth in 1:49.10 and Maureen McLaine won the consolation race in 1:49.10.
Day 3 Results
400-yard medley relay
Paige Miller, Breeja Larson, Kendra Chernoff, Lili Ibañez
2nd, 3:31.04 (NCAA "A" cut, school record)
One-Meter Dive
Janie Potvin, 2nd, 317.05
Lorena Lujan, 11th, 253.80
Jo Thibodaux, 270.90
400-yard IM
Sarah Henry, 1st, 4:05.48 (NCAA "A" cut, Big 12 meet record, school record)
Cammile Adams, 2nd, 4:07.64 (NCAA "B" cut, No. 3 in school history)
Alyssa Conner, 3rd, 4:10.51 (NCAA "B" cut)
Melanie Dodds, 5th, 4:12.13 (NCAA "B" cut)
Megan Onstott, 4:18.95 (NCAA "B" cut, C final winner)
Caroline Maxvill, 18th, 4:24.90
100-yard butterfly
Paige Miller, 2nd, 52.84 (NCAA "B" cut, No. 2 performer in school history)
Kendra Chernoff, 3rd, 52.97 (NCAA "B" cut, No. 3 performer in school history)
Rita Medrano, 5th, 53.41 (NCAA "B" cut)
200-yard freestyle
Lili Ibañez, 5th, 1:47.12 (NCAA "B" cut)
Hannah Kinder, 8th, 1:49.10 (NCAA "B" cut)
Maureen McLaine, 9th, 1:49.10 (NCAA "B" cut)
Jaclin Rehring, 1:47.95 (NCAA "B" cut, C final winner)
Christine Regone, 1:50.43
Liz Nelson, 1:51.29
100-yard breaststroke
Breeja Larson, 2nd, 59.32 (NCAA "A" cut)
Erica Dittmer, 3rd, 1:00.97 (NCAA "B" cut)
Caroline Maxvill, 1:04.14
Megan Onstott, 1:04.65
100-yard backstroke
Paige Miller, 1st, 52.65 (NCAA "B" cut)
Tess Simpson, 3rd, 53.22 (NCAA "B" cut)
Lindsey King, 4th, 53.24 (NCAA "B" cut)
Anna Heller, 10th, 53.72 (NCAA "B" cut)
Maria Sommer, 14th, 54.83 (NCAA "B" cut)
Kim Pavlin, 54.19 (NCAA "B" cut)
Wylie Escobedo, 54.76 (NCAA "B" cut)
Megan Latone, 54.83 (NCAA "B" cut)
Meagan Hairston, 55.47