Clemson Finishes Well On Day Three Of Nike Cup

Nov. 18, 2006

Chapel Hill, NC- The Clemson Swimming and Diving teams concluded the first half of their season as they swam in the final day of the Nike Cup, Saturday. Both teams remained in third place overall, with Florida State taking the title on the men’s and women’s side. Clemson lit up Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill on their way to three swims that cracked the school’s all-time top 10 list. Cassy LaRussa improved her career best time in the 1650 freestyle to move from seventh to sixth, Katrina Obas swam into ninth place in the 200 breaststroke, and Thomas Recko moved into eighth place in the 200 backstroke.

The Lady Tigers started off the Saturday night session in grand style as Cassy LaRussa picked up her second victory of the meet. LaRussa swam a career best time of 16:35.63, which was an NCAA Provisional Qualifying time. LaRussa’s time was also good enough to move her up to sixth place on Clemson’s all-time list in the event. Mandy Snell (17:07.60) and Summer O’Donnell (17:17.54) placed 10th and 15th, respectively. Michelle Parkhurst (2:00.57) followed the distance girls by finishing the 200 backstroke in second place. Cassy LaRussa closed out the meet with a fourth place finish.

Freshman Thomas Recko got the men’s team going as he took fourth place in the 200 backstroke. Recko entered the Clemson all-time top 10 in the event as his time of 1:49.47 in the preliminary heats put him eighth on that list. Taylor Thompson (1:51.25), Joel Johnson (1:51.45) and Matt Angelini (1:52.33) placed ninth, 10th and 12th in the 200 back. Brian Regone (46.05) led the Tigers in the 100 freestyle as he finished seventh. Stephen Russell (46.33) and Mark Vahle (46.45) finished ninth and 16th, respectively. Brian Regone, and Mark Vahle took fifth with a time of 3:03.60.

The final scores on the women’s side were Florida State (929 points), North Carolina (711), Clemson (604), Kentucky (574), Virginia Tech (508), Miami (247), East Carolina (202), Syracuse (56), and N.C. State (7). On the men’s side the scores ended up Florida State (1104 points), Kentucky (690), Clemson (605), Virginia Tech (568), North Carolina (567), East Carolina (105), James Madison (99), Miami (35), Syracuse (22), and N.C. State (17).

Clemson will next be in action as coach Leslie Hasselbach will take the Tiger divers will go to Athens, GA for the Georgia Diving Invitational on January 2-4. The swimmers will start the 2007 portion of their season in Boca Raton, FL as they take on Florida Atlantic on January 3.