Miami Sits Fourth after First Day of GT Fall Invite

Nov. 19, 2010

Results | GTFI Day One Results (PDF)

Atlanta, Ga. – The University of Miami swimming and diving team is in fourth place with 158 points after the opening day of action at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational housed at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta area.

Senior Annika Saarnak (Pühalepa, Estonia) posted an NCAA “B” cut qualifying time of 22.69 – establishing a new UM school record in the process, and a second place finish during the finals of the 50-yard freestyle. Saarnak’s time took down Christy Cech’s record time of 22.96 that has stood atop the UM leader board in the 50 free since 1999. Saarnak already collected an NCAA “B” cut time in the 100-yard butterfly back in October during the All Florida Invitational in Gainesville.

Junior transfer Kelsi Hall (Yorktown, Ind.) finished 10th overall in the event, touching the wall at 23.44.

The record-breaking times continued to roll in for UM during the 400-yard medley relay, using the team of Whitney Stephenson (leadoff), Sofia Johansson (second leg), Annika Saarnak (third leg) and Kelsi Hall to tally an NCAA “B” cut time of 3:40.26. The time allowed the `Canes to take second place in the race, and put up a new school record mark in the process. The previous record (3:43.42) was established during the Shefchunas era in 2009.

“We had a great evening,” said UM fifth-year head swimming coach Christie Shefchunas. “We’re really looking forward to tomorrow.”

Senior Ryann Labreche (Ft. Myers, Fla.) won the “C” finals of the 500-yard freestyle in a UM season-best time of 4:55.05.

In the 200-yard individual medley, senior Deidre Novotny (Palm Harbor, Fla.) took third place in the “C” finals, coming in to the wall at 2:04.49. During the prelims, junior Roxanne Meyer (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa) put up a new UM season-best mark of 2:05.56 in qualifying for the finals of the event.

Over in the diving well, freshman Thea Vock (Clermont, Fla.) scored a second place finish on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 327.10. Freshman Lindsay Lester (San Jose, Calif.) scored 276.20 in the preliminary round of diving.

Male diver Samuel Dorman was eighth in the men’s finals of the 10-meter springboard, earning a score of 303.75. Dorman was fourth after the prelims with a score of 348.90.

Miami began the day with a fourth place showing in the 200 freestyle relay in a season-fast time of 1:32.96, narrowly missing an NCAA “B” cut (1:32.76). The team was comprised of Annika Saarnak (leadoff), Kelsi Hall (second leg), Whitney Stephenson (third leg) and Lauren Jacoby (anchor).

The action continues at the Georgia Tech Fall Invite on Sat., Nov. 20, beginning at 9 a.m. The finals will be held later in the day. The annual meet runs through Sun., Nov. 21.

For more information on the University of Miami swimming & diving program, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, results and information regarding the Hurricanes swimming & diving program.

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