Swimming and Diving Takes Fourth at Big 12 Championships

The Kansas swimming and diving team finished in fourth place at the 2005 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships.

Feb. 26, 2005

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Kansas swimming and diving team finished in fourth place at the Big 12 Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in College Station, Texas. The Jayhawks recorded 454 team points and finished behind third-place Nebraska by seven points. Texas won its seventh consecutive women's conference swimming and diving championship with 965 team points, while Texas A&M finished in second place with 783 points.

"Although we fell short of some team goals, we had a number of outstanding individual performances," head coach Clark Campbell said. "We are really proud of Amy (Gruber) and all that she accomplished at this meet."

Senior Amy Gruber collected her third second-place finish of the championships, as she swam an NCAA `A' standard time of 49.49 in the 100 freestyle. Gruber will now move on to compete in the NCAA Championships, March 17-19, in the 100 and 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly events. The Bigelow, Ark., native also teamed with senior Aly Colver, junior Gina Gnatzig and freshman Terri Schramka to finish third in the 400 freestyle relay with a Kansas-season best time of 3:24.44.

In other individual events, sophomore Jenny Short finished seventh in a Kansas season-best time of 2:00.67, and Gnatzig finished eighth (2:01.07) in the 200 backstroke event. In the 200 breaststroke, senior Miranda Isaac finished seventh with a Kansas season-best time of 2:18.35, and sophomore Hannah Bakke finished eighth in a time of 2:20.38. Sophomore Lia Pogioli finished 11th in the 1650 freestyle with a Kansas season-best time of 17:02.54. In the platform diving competition, junior Casey Topol was the top Jayhawk as she finished 12th with a score of 281.90.

"The Big 12 Championship meet was a great way for the team to wrap up the season," Campbell added.

Upcoming events on the swimming and diving schedule include the NCAA Zone D Diving Regional, March 11-13, in College Station, Texas, where three Kansas divers, junior Casey Topol and sophomores Shelby Noonan and Jenny Roberts will compete. The NCAA Championship meet will be held March 17-19, in West Lafayette, Ind., and the World Championship Trials will be held April 1-6, in Indianapolis, Ind.

TEAM SCORES
1. Texas        965
2. Texas A&M 783
3. Nebraska    461
4. Kansas       454
5. Missouri      377
6. Iowa State 337

Complete Results