Dec. 1, 2005
Auburn, Ala. -
U.S. Open Final's Day 1 Event Winners Quotes
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Current Auburn junior Hayley Peirsol blitzed the field in the 400 freestyle while former Tiger Margaret Hoelzer did the same in the 200 back as the Auburn men's and women's swimming and diving teams completed the first night of competition at the 2005 U.S. Open (LCM) Swimming Championships at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center on Thursday night. Peirsol also teamed up with freshman Margo McCawley, senior Jana Kolukanova and sophomore Emily Kukors to take the top spot in the women's 800 freestyle relay.
"I think we preformed well in the final's this evening as we got off to a little slow start this morning," head Auburn men's and women's swimming and diving coach David Marsh said. "We are very excited about Hayley's continuing progress and Adrienne rebounded well tonight in the 400 free. Julie Stupp and Emily Kukors both had personal bests in the 200 individual medley. On the men's side, Eric Shanteau had a strong 200 IM and the 400 free showed improvement led by Daniel Slocki."
Peirsol and Binder, two of the best distance swimmers in the country and juniors on Auburn's second-ranked women's team, continued their strong swimming in the 400 freestyle as the duo finished 1-2 in the championship finals on Thursday night. Peirsol clocked a 4:15.24 while Binder touched in a time of 4:18.07, more than a half-second ahead of the third place finisher, Carly Piper (4:18.58).
"I feel like I'm right on track," Peirsol said of her swimming. "I would've liked to have gone faster but I'm doing well right now. I'm training well and I'm happy with that time for now."
Hoelzer, an Olympian for the United States in the 200 back in 2004, brought home the championship tonight, finishing in a blistering 2:13.65. Current Tiger Erin Volcan also competed in the top finals, stopping the clock at 2:18.35 to place fifth. Senior Jeri Moss punched the clock at 2:18.14 to finish second in the consolation finals while McCawley was fourth in the `C' Finals (2:20.25). Freshman Gisela Morales was eighth in the `C' Finals with a time 2:24.04.
"It's a good indicator for this time of year," Hoelzer said. "December is kind of in the middle of the season so it shows what you need to do in the next couple of months. I haven't been in the water for two months. Now it's just building up my endurance and working on strength and power in the water."
The Auburn women capped off the night with a convincing win in the 800 freestyle relay. McCawley got things going for the Tigers with a split of 2:07.81 before handing off to Kolukanova, who split 2:06.71. Peirsol took over from there, splitting a third-leg-best 2:05.88 before giving way to Kukors on the anchor, which went 2:01.65, the only leg in the field that was under 2:05.00 in the entire race.
Kukors opened the night by lowering her personal-best time and clocking the third-fastest time ever swum by an AU female when she touched in 2:18.17 in the championship finals of the 200 IM, finishing fourth. Kukor's splits were 30.10, 36.91, 40.32 and 30.84, with her freestyle leg being the second-fastest in the field. Katie Hoff of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club took top honors as she lowered her meet record from this morning by over a second-and-a-half to 2:11.90. AU sophomore Julie Stupp was sixth with a time of 2:19.22.
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Hoelzer had opened her night in the `B' Final of the 200 IM as the Huntsville product and 2004 USA Olympian went 2:18.78, the fifth-best time in AU history. Adrienne Binder stopped the clock at 2:22.39 to finish fifth in the `B' Final. Junior Anne Amardeilh finished fourth in the `C' Final with a 2:22.69.
Eric Shanteau couldn't hold his seed from this morning but he still put up a very impressive showing as he finished third in tonight's 200 IM championships finals with a time of 2:03.56. His breaststroke split of 35.16 was the fastest in the field by over three-quarters-of-a-second. 2004 U.S. Olympian and current University of Florida swimmer Ryan Lochte took top honors with a time of 2:01.98.
Swimming in the consolation finals of the 200 IM was AU senior Doug Van Wie, who went 2:08.44 to finish third in his heat. Teammate James Wike was three spots behind him in the `B' Final with a time of 2:09.66 while red-shirt freshman Andrew Callahan finished 16th overall with a time of 2:10.87. Freshman Jon Roberts was fourth in the `C' Final (2:11.31).
Junior Daniel Slocki moved up a spot from this morning's prelims in the championship finals of the men's 400 freestyle as the Charlotte, N.C., native went 4:01.05, lowering his time by over two seconds from this morning. Sophomore Cory Knopp had a solid swim in the consolation finals of the 400 free, touching in a time of 4:04.16 to place fifth in his heat. Sophomores Jeff Smith (4:05.74) and Shai Livnat (4:09.52) finished third and eighth, respectively, in the `C' Finals.
Junior Sean Osborne swam a competitive 1:06.15 to place eighth in the championship finals of the 100 breaststroke. Sophomore David Maras showed improvement from this morning as he lowered his time to 1:06.24 to finish fourth in the consolation finals while freshman Jon Roberts also lowered his time from this morning, touching in a time of 1:07.18, second in his heat.
Freshman Nick Bovell was the top finisher out of the Tigers' representatives in the men's 200 backstroke as he touched the pads in a time of 2:10.21 for eighth-place in the consolation finals. Both Wike (2:08.11) and Shanteau (2:09.30) swam in the `C' Final, finishing third and fourth, respectively.
Kolukanova, a senior at Auburn, dueled 2004 Olympian Amanda Weir from the outside in the women's 50 freestyle as the Tallinn, Estonia, native stopped the clock at 25.95 to place second behind Weir's 25.40. Kolukanova actually moved up four spots from this morning's swim, passing another Olympian, Maritza Correia (25.99) in the process. McCawley finished fourth in the `C' Final (27.13)
Sophomore transfer Matt Targett of Australia got to the wall in a time of 23.08 to win the consolation finals of the men's 50 freestyle.
The AU men closed out the night with a third-place finish in the 800 free relay, clocking a 7:41.02. Sophomore Rory Connell led off with a 1:53.01 while Van Wie went 1:54.42, the fastest second leg in the field. Junior Joey Schneider took the third-leg responsibilities, going 1:56.25 before handing off to Shanteau, who closed with a 1:57.34.
The competition continues on Friday morning with the second morning session of prelims. Set to be contested are 100 breaststroke, the 200 freestyle, the 100 butterfly, the 400 IM and the 400 medley relay.
U.S. OPEN - DAY 1 FINALS
CHAMPION AND AUBURN FINISHES
WOMEN'S 200 IM - LCM 1. Katie Hoff 2:11.90 4. Emily Kukors 2:18.17 6. Julie Stupp 2:19.22 9. Margaret Hoelzer 2:18.78 13. Adrienne Binder 2:22.39 20. Anne Amardeilh 2:22.69
MEN'S 200 IM FINALS - LCM 1. Ryan Lochte 2:01.98 3. Eric Shanteau 2:03.56 11. Doug Van Wie 2:08.44 14. James Wike 2:09.66 16. Andrew Callahan 2:10.87 20. Jon Roberts 2:11.31
WOMEN'S 400 FREESTYLE FINALS - LCM 1. Hayley Peirsol 4:15.24 2. Adrienne Binder 4:18.07
MEN'S 400 FREESTYLE FINALS - LCM 1. Mark Randall 3:52.14 7. Daniel Slocki 4:01.05 13. Cory Knopp 4:04.16 19. Jeff Smith 4:05.74 24. Shai Livnat 4:09.52
WOMEN'S 100 BREASTSTROKE FINALS - LCM 1. Tara Kirk 1:07.36
MEN'S 100 BREASTSTROKE FINALS - LCM 1. Vlad Polyakov 1:01.98 8. Sean Osborne 1:06.15 12. David Maras 1:06.24
WOMEN'S 200 BACKSTROKE FINALS - LCM 1 Margaret Hoelzer 2:13.65 5. Erin Volcan 2:18.35 10. Jeri Moss 2:18.14 20. Margo McCawley 2:20.25 24. Gisela Morales 2:24.04
MEN'S 200 BACKSTROKE FINALS - LCM 1. Ryan Lochte 2:00.88 16. Nick Bovell 2:10.21 19. James Wike 2:08.11 20. Eric Shanteau 2:09.30 Doug Van Wie DQ
WOMEN'S 50 FREESTYLE FINALS - LCM 1 Amanda Weir 25.40 2. Jana Kolukanova 25.95 20. Margo McCawley 27.13
MEN'S 50 FREESTYLE FINALS - LCM 1. Nicholas Brunelli 22.13 9. Matt Targett 23.08
WOMEN'S 800 FREESTYLE RELAY FINALS - LCM 1 Auburn 8:22.05 (McCawley - 2:07.81, Kolukanova - 2:06.71, Peirsol - 2:05.88, Kukors - 2:01.65)
MEN'S 800 FREESTYLE RELAY FINALS - LCM 1. Florida 7:35.01 (Townsend - 1:50.20, Hartley - 1:56.24, Lochte - 1:53.57, Jaben - 1:55.00) 3. Auburn 7:41.02 (Connell - 1:53.01, Van Wie - 1:54.42, Schneider - 1:56.25, Shanteau - 1:57.34)