Jayhawks Have Breakout Day in the Water, Earn 68 Points in Columbia

A total of 14 swimmers compile lifetime best performances as KU sits in fourth, with 128 points

Malia Johnson finished 12th in the 500 yard freestyle and set a new lifetime best mark with her 4:51.81 time.

Feb. 23, 2012

500 Free / 200 IM / 1 Meter Diving / 50 Free /200 Free Relay

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Kansas swimming and diving team reeled off at least 60-points for the second straight night in the Big 12 Championships as they sit comfortably in fourth place with 128 points. With the help of 14-different swimmers who earned lifetime best times, the Jayhawks compiled a total of 68 points heading into Day #3 at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

Kansas began the night with the 200 free relay where they would finish with a 1:32.91 time and in fourth place, good enough for 30-points. Following the one meter dive, KU got back into the pool and was led by junior Rebecca Swank in the 500 free. Swank carried the momentum she created by her lifetime best performance in prelims (4:49.68), by following it up with a solid 4:50.92 time during finals. Swank finished in eighth place, and racked up 11 points for her teammates. Also scoring points in the event were Malia Johnson with her lifetime best time of 4.51.81, Shannon Garlie (4:52.81) and Morgan Sharp (5:01.38). The Jayhawks teamed up for 22 points in the 500 free.

Next up for Coach Campbell and his crew was the 200 IM, where senior Stephanie Payne was the fastest Jayhawk, scoring four points with her 2:01.79 time and 13^th place finish. Other KU swimmers scoring in the 200 IM finals were Brooke Brull (2:02.64), who finished 15^th and Brittany Rospierski (2:03.32) who placed 16^th. The pair of juniors netted a combined total of three points, which gave KU seven for the event.

The final event of the night was the quickest, as three Kansas swimmers toed the blocks for the 50 free. That is where junior Svetlana Golovchun scored an important four points with her 23.35 time and 13^th place finish. Teammate Sophiia Filatova was not too far off her fellow countrywoman’s pace, with her 23.75 time and 16^th place performance.

Kansas is currently six points ahead of where it was after the second day of competition in the 2011 Big 12 Championships. KU had 122 points heading into day #2 in Austin, Texas and finished with a grand total of 409.5 points. Fast forward to 2012 and the Jayhawks are currently seven points ahead of the Cyclones from Iowa State, who have 121. They will look to widen that gap tomorrow as Kansas swimmers and divers will compete in a total of seven different events.

SCORES THROUGH DAY #2
1) Texas A&M -342 pts
2) Texas -296 pts
3) Missouri -225 pts
4) Kansas -128 pts
5) Iowa State -121 pts

DAY #2 NOTES
--Rachel Snyder (5:06.15), Malia Johnson (4:51.81) and Rebecca Swank (4:49.68) had lifetime bests in the 500 free.
--Sara Snow (2:09.48), Deanna Marks (2:04.92), Caroline Patterson (2:07.94), Alison Lusk (2:05.91), Brittany Rospierski (2:03.09) and Stephanie Payne (2:00.65), experienced lifetime bests in the 200 IM.
--Sofiia Filatova (23.50), Kara Stranski (24.12), Madison Wagner (24.10), Sarah Hettenbach (24.08) and Kaja Kolsek (23.68) all swam to lifetime best performances in the 50 free.

DAY #2 QUOTES
Kansas head coach Clark Campbell…
On his team’s performance:
“I thought our 500 freestylers were much better tonight than they were this morning (in preliminaries). The 200 IM’ers were not quite as sharp as they were this morning, but that sometimes happens. They swam so well this morning that it was perhaps tough to replicate tonight. Then our 50 freestylers were solid, so overall it was a good day.”

On individual performances:
“I was really happy with Malia Johnson, Shannon Garlie and Alison Moffit as well as Rachel Snyder having another best time. Rebecca Swank has also been doing really well in Championship finals.”

On looking toward the third day of competition:
“I think as this meet progresses the events accommodate us better, so I think tomorrow (Friday) will be better for us than today and Saturday will be better for us than Friday.”

On the seniors’ performances:
“All of them did really well. I was really pleased with Sarah (Hettenbach) and Kath (Liggett) in the 50 free. Shannon (Garlie) had a really solid 500 free and then Stephanie (Payne) had a lifetime best in her 200 IM, so they have done really, really well.”