Prelims: Day Four at ACCs
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. Junior Mei Christensen and senior Megan Evo set the conference, school and meet record in the preliminaries of the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly, respectively, as the final day of the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships began Saturday in College Park, Md. The event is being held at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium. A total of 11 Cavaliers have swum their way into the finals tonight.
Christensen, who claimed the 100 back title last night, clocked an NCAA A time of 1:53.05 in the prelims of the 200 back. Christensen had previously set the conference record earlier this season at the UVa Invitational (1:54.71) and Clemson’s Michelle Parkhurts previously held the league’s meet record (1:55.33).
Erika Stewart (1:56.32), Lauren Smart (1:56.41) and Amanda Faulkner (1:57.32), who all clocked B times, will join Christensen in the finals tonight.
Evo, who took the 200 individual medley on Thursday and the 100 butterfly title on Friday, swam an NCAA A mark of 1:54.59 in the 200 fly to set a new ACC, school and meet record. The previous league and school record was held by current Virginia swimmer Liz Shaw (1:54.98), set at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Shaw, a sophomore, posted the second-fastest time during the prelims (1:56.51). Claire Crippen will also compete in the finals after touching at 2:00.15.
Sophomore Kristen Moores (49.60, B) and senior Kristen Wallace (49.62, B) will compete in the finals of the 100 freestyle after finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, in the preliminaries. Hannah Davis finished 11th with a time of 49.86 and will swim in the consolation finals.
Ellie Freeman and Katherine McDonnell posted B times to advance into the finals of the 200 breast, touching at 2:12.38 and 2:13.68, respectively. McDonnell was second and Freeman third in the 100 breast last night.
ACC Select will provide live video streaming of the championships starting at 7 p.m. Saturday. There is no charge to watch the webcasts. Live results from the championships are available by clicking here.
More to come …