Clemson Women’s Swimming and Diving to Face Gardner-Webb

Jan. 19, 2005

The Clemson women’s swimming and diving team will play host to Gardner-Webb in an intercollegiate swim meet on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the McHugh Natatorium.

Clemson is currently 4-6 overall this season. The Lady Tigers are coming off a loss to 15th-ranked North Carolina last Saturday. Gardner-Webb enters the meet with having won five dual meet competitions. The Lady Bulldogs also took first place overall at the Davidson Invitational.

Clemson is led by junior All-American Kim Routh. Routh currently holds Clemson season-best times in four different events. In the 200 free, the 500 free, and the 1000 free, Routh holds the five fastest Clemson times this season. At the Nike Cup, Routh set a career-best time of 4:47.87 in the 500 free. Routh also claimed victory in the 1650 free, winning the event by nearly 27 seconds. Junior Ashley Shafer set a new personal best time in the 200 breast against South Carolina with a time of 2:19.05. The time also ranks in the Clemson all-time top-ten. Junior Shastain Leathers set a new Clemson record in one-meter diving with her score of 271.65 at the Nike Cup. Freshman Rachel McLaurin has also made her mark on the Clemson top-ten list, as her time of 23.61 in the 50 free ranks tenth all time.

The Clemson men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will return to Atlantic Coast Conference action on Saturday as they travel to face Georgia Tech on Saturday in Atlanta..

Clemson is under the leadership of head coach Chris Ip in his third season. In his two previous seasons at Clemson, Ip has led the Tiger men and women to records of 20-6-1 and 17-11 respectively. Ip has coached seven athletes to appearances in the NCAA Championship and four ACC event champions.