Women’s Swimming and Diving Set for Final Night of ACC Championships

Feb. 21, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, MD – The women’s swimming and diving team has completed preliminary rounds on the final day of the ACC Championships at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium. The Tigers are in sixth going into the finals, and have several student-athletes in scoring positions.

The action can be followed for free via live internet broadcast at ACCSelect.com and the results are posted real-time using the provided link.

Michelle Parkhurst, who last night won the ACC Championship in the 200 free, put in the second-best time of her career (1:55.73) in the 200 backstroke to earn a spot in the championship finals. Parkhurst will also likely have a spot in the 400 free relay, the final event of the meet. Parkhurst is the defending ACC Champion in the 200 back, when she set the ACC record last season.

Freshman Cara Lennon will also compete for points in the 200 back, as she put in a lifetime-best 1:59.51, which moves her up to third in Clemson history. Another freshman, Kelli Kyle, also had a career-best in the 200 back, qualifying her for the bonus consolation round. Her time of 2:00.17 was good enough to move her to fifth in Tiger history.

Rachel Regone, who has already been a part to five school records in this meet, qualified for the finals in the 100 freestyle with a lifetime-best 49.41, an NCAA-B time. She is currently second in Clemson history. Lauren Sindall put in the third-best time in Clemson history, a 49.79, to qualify for the consolation finals as the top seed. Alex Allen, Summer O’Donnell, and Rachel Hesler also competed in the 100 free and put in season-best times.

Also of note, a 20-year-old ACC record held by Clemson’s Mitzi Kremer fell to Virginia Tech’s Sara Smith during the prelims of the 100 free. It was Kremer’s second ACC record to fall during the 2009 meet, in which there has been a new ACC record set in all but one swimming event.

Katrina Obas broke a six-year-old school record in the 200 breast, as she put in a lifetime-best NCAA-B 2:15.26. She had ranked third in Tiger history coming in to today, but her time elevates her to school-record status. Obas will compete for points, as she earned the second-best time for the consolation finals. Elizabeth Savage just missed qualifying for the bonus consolation finals, as she finished 25th.

In the 200 butterfly, sophomore Meggie Mizelle continued her strong showing in the meet by putting in a lifetime-best 2:01.05 in the event. Her time moves her to fourth on the all-time list entering tonight’s competition, where she will compete for consolation final points.

Also going on today are the men’s and women’s platform diving events. David Giambra and Ryan McDaniel will go for the men.

Tonight’s diving finals begin at 5:15 p.m. and the swimming portion will start at 7:00p.m.