March 18, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Auburn women's swimming and diving team concluded the first day of the 2010 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday, finishing the night in seventh with 67 points. The three-day meet is being held at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center on the campus of Purdue University.
Stanford sits in first with 142.5 points and is followed closely by Georgia with 134 points. Rounding out the top five are California (122), Florida (107) and Texas A&M (106).
"I thought we fought strong tonight," head coach Brett Hawke said. "The team really rallied and had some great swims. We're trying to build some momentum and carry that. The team has to come back and fight again tomorrow."
Auburn, for the 10th-straight year, competed in the championship final of the 200 free relay to open up the final session of day one. The team of Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Hannah Riordan, Caitlin Geary and Melissa Marik finished sixth in a time of 1:29.40.
Swimming in her fourth-consecutive 200 IM championship final was senior Ava Ohlgren. After finishing eighth in the preliminaries, the Northville, Mich., product bounced back to finish fourth overall in a season-best time of 1:55.72.
"Coming into tonight's event, I didn't worry about the race because I knew I didn't have anywhere to go but up," Ohlgren said. "I didn't let all the things that usually bother me get to me and just swam my race."
Representing Auburn in the 50 free was sophomore Vanderpool-Wallace, who swam a season-best time of 22.32 in the prelims to qualify for the consolation final. The Nassau, Bahamas, native bested her 13th-place finish from the 2009 championships and finished 11th overall in a time of 22.38.
Sophomore diver Anna Aguero earned her first-ever All-America honor after finishing 15th on the 1-meter springboard with a score of 283.75 points. The honor was also Auburn's first diving All-America award since the 2007 season.
"Anna (Aguero) was very consistent and put herself in a position to dive in either final event," head diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "For her to come to her first NCAA Championships and score in the first event is very good."
Capping off the night was the 400 medley relay squad of Marik, Micah Lawrence, Ohlgren and Vanderpool-Wallace. The team finished ninth in a time of 3:34.08.
Day two starts Friday with preliminaries set for 11 a.m. with the 200 medley relay. The 400 IM follows with the 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 800 free relay and 3-meter diving. Live results are available at www.purduesports.com
Auburn Swimming and Diving
2010 NCAA Championships - Day One Finals
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Gabrielsen Natatorium; Athens, Ga.
Top 10 Team Scores: 1. Stanford - 142.5; 2. Georgia - 134; 3. California - 122; 4. Florida - 107; 5. Texas A&M - 106; 5. Arizona - 106; 7. Auburn - 67; 8. Virginia - 64; 8. Southern California - 64; 10. Texas - 38.
Auburn Top Finishers - Women: 200 Free Relay - 6. Vanderpool-Wallace, Riordan, Geary, Marik (1:29.40); 200 IM - 4. Ohlgren (1:55.72); 50 Free - 11. Vanderpool-Wallace (22.38); 400 Medley Relay - 9. Marik, Lawrence, Ohlgren, Vanderpool-Wallace (3:34.08); 1-meter - 15. Aguero (283.75).