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Tigers Move Up on Second Day of ACC Championships

Preliminary recap, Results

Feb. 19, 2009

 

Complete Results

 

COLLEGE PARK, MD- The Clemson women’s swimming and diving team moved up to fifth place after night two of finals at the 2009 ACC Championships at Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium in College Park, Md. The Tigers competed in four events: the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and 200 free relay. Diving competition also began today with the women’s one meter and men’s three meter.

Senior Cassy LaRussa began the night for Clemson in the final heat of the 500 free. While she was out with the pack for most of the race, LaRussa placed eighth in the event with a time of 4:46.82, another NCAA-B cut, less than a second off her time from the morning session. LaRussa remains fourth on Clemson’s all-time top ten. Teammates Summer O’Donnell and Rachel Hesler also earned a second swim in the 500 free bonus consolation finals. O’Donnell took 20th overall with Hesler placing 24th.

University of North Carolina swimmer Katura Harvey had a record breaking night, winning the 500 yard freestyle and breaking the 20 year old record held by Clemson Olympian Mitzi Kremer. Harvey’s time of 4:39.12 broke Kremer’s record by just six one-hundredths of a second.

The 200 IM was next on the agenda for the evening, with junior Katrina Obas in the bonus consolation finals. Obas improved her time from the morning session and moved up to 20th with a time of 2:03.20.

In the 50 free, Clemson boasted two swimmers in finals and one in bonus consolation finals. Senior sprint duo Rachel Regone and Lauren Sindall had a solid showing for the Tigers with Regone holding her position from the prelim session to take a silver medal at 22.35 after setting a school record in the preliminary session. Sindall placed 7th with a time of 22.82. Teammate Alex Allen moved up in bonus consolation finals, taking 17th overall with a personal best time of 22.98. This time puts Allen in third place on Clemson’s all-time top ten.

In the final event of the evening, the 200 free relay, the Tiger team of Regone, Sindall, Allen, and Michelle Parkhurst looked to defend their title for the third year. Regone had the lead after the first 50, lowering her school record to 22.25. Sindall dove in next, neck and neck with the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. Allen followed, splitting 22.35 in the process. Parkhurst anchored and surged for the wall. The Tigers finished second to the Virginia Cavaliers by four tenths, but out-touched Virginia Tech by only three one-hundredths of a second. Their time of 1:29.70 is a new school record and just off the NCAA-A cut by a little over a second.

On the boards, a pair of Tiger freshmen earned valuable experience on the one-meter event. Cassie Self and Brooke George each earned top-20 finishes in the one-meter event, with Self scoring in her first career ACC action.

Friday Preview: Tomorrow begins a new day for the Tigers, with a new agenda that includes the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, the one meter diving competition for the men and the three meter diving competition for the women.

In the 400 IM, the Tigers send out four women, Elizabeth Savage, Mandy Snell, Carmen Groenewoud. Savage and Snell look to be a strong force to score for the Tigers, with McLaughlin on the edge.

In the 100 fly, freshman Meggie Mizelle rounding out the top-24 in the ACC. Fellow Tigers Regone, Kelli Kyle, Ashley Clay, Allen, and Cara Lennon will also compete for the Tigers in this event.

The 200 free will prove to be a tough test for senior Michelle Parkhurst as she looks to defend her title, ACC meet and conference records from last year. Parkhurst already laid down a solid swim in the 800 free relay with her opening split of 1:45.47. She is ranked third in the ACC so far this year. LaRussa, fresh off her eighth place finish tonight, will be looking for more as she joins Parkhurst in this event. Teammates O’Donnell, Hesler, and Mizelle will also compete here.

The 100 breast will open with Obas making a run at the finals with Tarantolo and Groenewoud capable of scoring here in the top-24 in the ACC. Sindall will also swim this event.

The 100 back will mark Parkhurst’s second event of the morning session. She also will try to defend her title here as she is joined by freshman Kelli Kyle. These women hold the third and fourth best times in this event so far this season. Both times are under the NCAA-B time.

In diving, freshmen divers David Giambra and Ryan McDaniel will be back in action tomorrow with the men’s one meter competition, Giambra holds the second spot in school history in this event with Ryan ranking fourth all time.

Thursday finals can be viewed on ACC Select starting at 5:15 with diving and followed using the LiveStats link for both the preliminary and final sessions.

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