Prelims: Day Three at ACCs
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. Sophomore Claire Crippen broke a seven-year old conference and school record in the 400 individual medley as preliminaries began day three of the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in College Park, Md. The event is being held at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium.
Crippen clocked a time of 4:09.31, an NCAA B cut, to break former Cavalier Mirjana Bosevska’s mark of 4:09.75 set in 2002. Crippen, the defending league champion in the 400 IM, also broke her own meet record of 4:11.50 set a year ago in Atlanta. Joining Crippen in the finals of the 400 IM tonight will be teammates Joanna Thomas (4:17.22, B) and Amanda Faulkner (4:17.97). Katya Bachrouche just missed a berth in the finals with a time of 4:20.06 but will swim in the consolation finals along with Anne Summer Myers (4:23.99).
In the final event of the morning, junior Mei Christensen broke her own ACC and Virginia record in the 100 back which she set in December at the UVa Invitational. Christensen touched at 51.79, an NCAA A cut. Her previous conference record was 52.58. That mark also broke former Cavalier Brielle White’s ACC meet record of 53.12. Finishing behind Christensen was freshman Lauren Smart, who also tallied an NCAA A cut with a mark of 52.86. Two more UVa freshmen, Jenny Lewis (53.96) and Erika Stewart (54.9) will join their teammates in the finals tonight.
Megan Evo recorded the top time in the 100 fly, clocking a 52.48 for an NCAA B time. That time also broke the ACC meet record set in 2007 by Florida State’s Christie Raleigh (53.00). Liz Shaw was fourth (53.09, B) and Kristen Wallace was eighth (54.03, B); all three will swim in the finals of the 100 fly tonight.
Two Cavaliers – Jen Narum and Jenna Harris – will swim in the finals of the 200 freestyle. Narum had the second-fastest time in the prelims with a 1:46.47 while Harris’ mark of 1:46.63 was third. Both were NCAA B cuts. Sophomore Kristen Moores will compete in the consolation finals after posting a time of 1:49.02.
Katherine McDonnell and Ellie Freeman swam their way into the finals of the 100 breast. McDonnell placed third in the preliminaries with an NCAA B time of 1:01.74 while Freeman had the fourth-fastest time in the morning session with a mark of 1:01.75.
In men’s 1-meter diving, freshman Briggly Imbriglia took 10th place with a score of 288.85 and Alex D’Ambrosio was 15th with a mark of 267.75.
ACC Select will provide live video streaming of the championships starting Thursday at 5:15 p.m. There is no charge to watch the webcasts. ACC Select coverage will continue Friday at 5:15 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.
Live results from the championships are available by clicking here.