Oct. 21, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Auburn's women's swimming & diving team continued their impressive early-season performances on Friday afternoon, posting 10 NCAA provisional qualifying times in a 167-125 road victory over Notre Dame at the Rolfs Aquatic Center.
The Tigers (2-0, 1-0 SEC) won 10 of 16 events (swam exhibition in the last three) and continued to improve on what were already strong times for the second dual meet of the season. Notre Dame (2-1) fell for the first time this season.
"Overall, it was just an outstanding performance on the road," Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said. "Our women have continually been in heavy training, and coming together this early in the season in very encouraging.
"Our standouts were in the 100s of strokes today; they were off the charts. We had some very fast swims for this time of year. It gives us a lot of confidence moving forward, and I'm really happy with where we're at for this time of year."
Senior Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace was part of two wins on the day, the most impressive of which came in the 100 freestyle. Already the NCAA record holder, Vanderpool-Wallace posted a 48.73 - more than a second and a half clear of the NCAA `B' standard - to earn a victory by more than two and a half seconds. She led an Auburn sweep in the event with teammate Becca Jones clocking a 51.29 and freshman Megan Fonteno posting a 51.44.
Vanderpool-Wallace also earned an NCAA `B' cut time in the 100 butterfly, finishing runner-up in 53.94. Sophomore Olivia Scott took the win, also posting a provisional qualifier with a 53.61. It was a sweep of the top four spots with Emily Bos taking third (56.26) and Haley Krakoski finishing fourth (56.85).
Bos continued to impress in the backstroke, winning the 100 back by a huge margin with a 53.62 to post her second `B' cut time of the year. Freshman Aimee Middleton took runner-up honors in the event with a 58.09.
Another freshman, Abby Duncan, posted an NCAA `B' cut in the 100 breaststroke in her first collegiate attempt at the event, clocking a 1:02.01 to outpace junior teammate Lauren Norberg, who posted a 1:02.70 for a `B' cut of her own.
It would be one of two `B' cuts for Norberg on the day; she came back later to win the 200 breast with a 2:15.86; Duncan would finish second in 2:16.68, and Laura Johnson took third with a 2:21.28.
Junior Hannah Riordan would record the Tigers' other individual `B' cut on the day with a 22.84 in the 50 freestyle; Krakoski was second with a 23.46.
Fellow junior Katie Gardocki picked up two more victories on the day, winning the 1000 free in 9:51.98 and taking top honors in the 500 free with a 4:56.68. And junior Becca Jones took a win in the 200 free with a 1:49.21.
With the team swimming exhibition, freshman Sarah Peterson posted what would have been the winning time in the 400 individual medley, clocking a personal-best 4:20.73 in her first collegiate attempt at the event. Gardocki went 4:21.27 for the second-best time.
The 200 medley relay team of Bos, Duncan, Riordan and Vanderpool-Wallace got the meet off to a great start by improving on their NCAA `B' cut time, posting a 1:40.84 to shave four-tenths off the team's best time from the previous meet. And in the meet's final event, the team of Krakoski, Scott, Kelsey Winters and Fonteno put up an exhibition swim of 3:24.41 to post an NCAA `B' cut in the 400 freestyle relay.
Senior Vennie Dantin earned a runner-up finish in the 1-meter diving event with a score of 291.37; freshman Shanna Schuelein finished fourth with a 267.07. Dantin also posted the second-best score in the 3-meter event with a 343.28, competing with her other two teammates in an exhibition role.
Top finisher for the Tigers in the 200 butterfly was freshman Katherine Daniels, who finished second with a 2:03.62, and freshman Erica Belcher finished a close second in the 200 backstroke with a 2:00.75.
Auburn's women will join the men in welcoming Penn State to the James E. Martin Aquatics Center for the team's next meet, which is set for a 3 p.m. start on Friday, Nov. 4.
Auburn Swimming & Diving
Friday, October 21, 2011
Rolfs Aquatic Center - Notre Dame, Ind.
Team Scores: Auburn 167, Notre Dame 125 (women)
Auburn Top Finishers:
200 Medley Relay: 1. Bos, Duncan, Riordan, Vanderpool-Wallace (1:40.84); 1000 Freestyle: 1. Gardocki (9:51.98); 200 Freestyle: 1. Jones (1:49.21); 100 Backstroke: 1. Bos (53.62); 100 Breaststroke: 1. Duncan (1:02.01); 200 Butterfly: 2. Daniels (2:03.62); 50 Freestyle: 1. Riordan (22.84); 1M Diving: 2. Dantin (291.37); 100 Freestyle: 1. Vanderpool-Wallace (48.73); 200 Backstroke: 2. Belcher (2:00.75); 200 Breaststroke: 1. La. Norberg (2:15.86); 500 Freestyle: 1. Gardocki (4:56.68); 100 Butterfly: 1. Scott (53.61); 3M Diving: (exh.) Dantin (343.28); 400 IM: (exh.) Peterson (4:20.73); 400 Freestyle Relay: (exh.) Krakoski, Scott, Winters, Fonteno (3:24.41)