Miami Swimmers Enjoy School-Record Day at ACC's
Feb. 18, 2009
College Park, Md. – The 800 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay squads both set new school records on Wednesday evening as the University of Miami wrapped up day one at the Atlantic Coast Conference Swimming & Diving Championships inside the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium in College Park, Md. This year’s event is being held at the University of Maryland.
“I’m just extremely proud of how we performed as a team today, and words can’t describe how I feel right now. I’m just so excited for the rest of the Championships.”
That’s how third-year swimming head coach Christie Shefchunas phrased it after the first day of swimming. All those emotions after just two events … and the optimism is certainly justified. The Pennsylvania native has coached the Hurricanes to their first NCAA `B’ cut qualifying time in her three years at the helm in Coral Gables. If it holds up through the weekend, it would also serve as UM’s first trip to the event since 2004.
The Hurricanes’ 200 medley relay team led off the day with a school-record performance of 1:42.95 as the team of Britta Boesing (leadoff), Dana Hatic (second leg), Deidre Novotny (third leg) and Kirsten Pomerleau (anchor) hit the water with a passion. Their time established a new UM mark that becomes the second school record in this event under the guise of Shefchunas.
Miami had a previous-best of 1:43.61 set back in 2006 by the team of Ashley Knapp, Magda Waszkiewicz, Andrea Hughes and Christine Zwiegers. The previous season-best mark for the 2008-09 campaign was a time of 1:45.26 established by the squad of Boesing, Dana Hatic, Annika Saarnak and Lauren Jacoby at the Ohio State Invitational (Dec. 5-7) in Columbus, Ohio.
Though finishing 10th overall in the event–Virginia took the top time of a new ACC record 1:37.50, Miami’s enthusiasm level was set heading into the 800 freestyle relay moments later.
“That team [200 medley relay] showed that we really have worked hard this year, and I know it gave the free relay team confidence,” continued Shefchunas. “I think the team just fed off that energy, and the other girls were just ready to hit the water right then. It was just great to see.”
In the 800 free relay, Shefchunas elected to go with the team of Saarnak, Jacoby, Ryann Labreche and Boesing. In this race, there was not just one NCAA `B’ qualification, but in a total of two–one for an individual.
With Saarnak serving as leadoff, her time of 1:47.22–the time counting individually in the 200 freestyle, was a `B’ cut qualification and a personal-best time for the Estonia native.
The team was right behind Saarnak as together they posted a school-record mark of 7:16.62, smashing the old mark of 7:20.46–a time that had stood firm since the 1993 season. That record was posted by Stacey Staver, Julia Williams, Kim Small and Dena Champney. All three were named All-America performers for the 1991 season competing in the 800 free relay.
“Annika started it off for us, and the team went from there,” expressed Shefchunas. “It was her great start that set us up, and I’m so proud of her and the other girls for being determined and finishing it off.”
The 800 free relay team has now qualified for the NCAA `B’ trials along with Saarnak. Saarnak’s old career-best time in the 200 freestyle was 1:50.42, set in the ACC Championships a year ago.
The winning time for the event was 7:05.72, a new ACC-best mark set forth by Virginia. UM finished seventh overall for the event.
The action for the four-day ACC Championships continues tomorrow with the women’s 500 freestyle (prelims), women’s 200 individual medley (prelims), women’s 50 freestyle (prelims), men’s 3-meter springboard diving (prelims) and women’s 1-meter springboard diving.
Tomorrow’s action, as well as the remaining three days of the event, will be streamed live over the internet via ACC Select by visiting www.accselect.com.
You can find more information on the entire event by visiting the ACC home page. For more information on the ACC Championships for swimming and diving, please locate your internet browser to http://www.theacc.com/sports/c-swim/09-sd-championship.html.
