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Prelims: Day 3 at Women's ACCs
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Virginia women’s swimming team continued competition Friday in the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Freshman Lauren Perdue set the conference, meet and pool record in the 200 free, recording an NCAA ‘A’ cut in the event with a time of 1:43.86. The previous conference and meet record was set by Clemson’s Michelle Parkhurst in 2008; the previous Virginia record was 1:45.27 set by Megan Evo in 2009.
“We had 20 swims today, 19 will return tonight and 15 will be in the A final,” head coach Mark Bernardino said. “The one thing that drives me a little bit loopy is ninth places and we had a couple of those. I really wish we could have turned one of those into an eighth. Wonderful swimming by Lauren Perdue, obviously. It was a national-class swim, the kind that shows her to be a significant player on the national and international scene.”
Three Cavalier teammates will join Perdue in the finals this evening, including Kelly Flynn (1:47.14), Jenna Harris (1:47.66) and Jen Narum (1:47.98). Kristen Moores finished 10th in the morning session with a mark of 1:48.16 and will swim in the consolation finals. All four of those times were NCAA ‘B’ cuts.
Prelims opened with heats of the 400 IM, where junior Claire Crippen posted the second-fastest time of the morning with a time of 4:10.42. The two-time defending conference champion in the event will be joined by teammates Amanda Faulkner (4:13.14), Christine Olson (4:13.22) and Katya Bachrouche (4:14.25) in the finals. Anne Summer Myers just missed a berth in the finals with ninth-place finish in the prelims (4:19.29). She will swim in the consolation finals tonight. All five Cavaliers earned NCAA ‘B’ marks in the prelims.
Along with Crippen, senior Mei Christensen will also look to defend her individual title tonight. She earned the top qualifying spot in the 100 back with a prelim time of 52.11, an NCAA ‘A’ mark and a pool record. Smart also nabbed an ‘A’ time, finishing in 52.88 and will also swim in the finals. Erika Stewart (54.23, ‘B’) and Meredith Cavalier (54.47, ‘B’) finished ninth and 10th, respectively, and will compete in the consolation finals.
Smart took top honors in the prelims of the 100 fly, her first of two events in the morning. The Charlotte, N.C., native clocked a pool record time of 52.78 in the event and will be joined by teammate Liz Shaw (54.44) in the finals. Both times were CAA ‘B’ cuts.
A trio of Virginia swimmers will swim tonight in the 100 breast. Olson (1:01.85), Ellie Freeman (1:01.95) and Katherine McDonnell (1:02.22) each swam their way into the finals with NCAA ‘B’ times.
“Mei had a wonderful backstroke, Lauren did great in the fly and back and our 400 IMers got us started off really well,” Bernardino said. “I know we would like to come back tonight and win some races. We really have to stiff our opponents in every single event tonight. There is no breathing room and hopefully we will get our hands on the wall first.”
Finals begin tonight at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ACC Select.