Clemson Swimming and Diving Weekend Highlights

Dec. 5, 2001

CLEMSON, SC – Both the Clemson men and women’s swimming and diving teams competed at the Georgia Invitational from Friday Nov. 30, through Sunday Dec. 2, in Athens, GA. The meet was Clemson’s final action for the fall semester of competition. The Tigers will travel to Florida for winter training after Christmas and cap off the trip with a tri-meet on Jan. 5.

During the three-day competition both Clemson teams saw several top performances.

Sophomore Mark Henly swam a lifetime best in the 200 back with a time of 1:47.56. Henly’s time is the second-fastest 200 back in school history. Henly also swam the eighth-fastest 400 IM in school history in his first appearance in the event for the Tigers with a time of 3:59.45. Junior Gregor Govse earned a third-place finish in the 200 back with a time of 2:00.36 which was good enough for second on Clemson’s all-time list. Freshman Thomas Rappold finsihed the 100 back with a time of 50.84 and the 100 fly with a time of 49.62, good enough for sixth and seventh, resectively, on the Clemson all-time lists. Junior Craig Thomas earned a sixth-place finish in the 1m competition and a fifth-place mark in the 3m competition with a lifetime best score of 471.95.

On the women’s side junior All-American Mandy Commons set a school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:16.17. Fellow junior Jenna Burtch had an excellent weekend as she posted lifetime bests in the 50 free (23.18), 100 free (50.33), and 200 free (1:49.36). Burtch’s performance in the 200 free moved her up to fourth on Clemson’s all-time list in the event and her effort in the 50 and 100 free events improved her third-place times on Clemson’s all-time list. The Tigers were happy to see redshirt freshman Courtney Humes and junior Liz Dwors perform well after returning from injuries. Humes recorded the ninth-fastest time in Clemson history in the 100 fly (56.76), after having surgery last spring that included removing a rib. Dwors, who redshirted last year after shoulder surgery, posted Clemson’s fastest 500 free this year with a time of 4:55.24 and earned an eighth-place finish in the meet. Dwors also recorded an eighth-place finish in the 1650 free with a time of 17:04.45.

Both the Clemson men and women’s teams will resume action in Miami, FL on Jan. 5, 2002. The Tigers will swim in a tri-meet against Mimi and Rutgers with the first event scheduled to start at 1 p.m.