LEXINGTON, Ky.? Kentucky diver Jessica Snowden was named the 2008 Southeastern Conference Freshman Diver of the Year as announced by the league offices Monday night.
The first-year participant scored points for the Wildcats in all three events, highlighted by a second overall performance in the platform event. Snowden scored a career-high 273.80 points in her silver-medal winning performance. The total is the third-best mark in UK history.
Additionally, she tallied a fourth-place finish in the championships? first night of competition on the one-meter board. Her total of 304.25 points is a career-high score, and also good for fourth place all-time in Kentucky?s record books. On the three-meter she took 11th, scoring 274.15 points. In the first week of the season Snowden was also honored as the SEC Diver of the Week after winning her first two collegiate events.
Snowden?s honor marks the fifth consecutive season a Kentucky diver has earned post-season accolades from the conference office as voted on by league coaches. Former diver Taryn Ignacio was the three-time SEC Diver of the Year from 2005-07, while senior Kari Retrum earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2004.
Seven UK athletes were also named to the second team All-SEC for their efforts in the men?s and women?s teams both placing fifth overall at the conference meet. Seniors Heather and Jenny Bradford, sophomore Megan Pulskamp, senior Kari Retrum, Snowden, and seniors Will Vietti and Lauren Willis were all second team performers.
Jenny Bradford earned second place in the 50-freestyle after breaking her own school record time in the preliminary heat tapping in 22.00. Retrum took second overall in the one-meter diving event with a score of 313.95. Vietti secured his second consecutive silver medal in the 100-breaststroke with a time of 53.76.
The record-setting 200-free relay team comprised of Heather Bradford, Pulskamp, Willis and Jenny Bradford were also honored as second-team members. The quartet broke the year-old school record set at last season?s NCAA Championships in its second place time of 1:29.12.
Collectively the Kentucky men?s and women?s swimming and diving teams had 43 top-16 individual performances, seven individual medalists and added a relay team medal for the 2008 SEC Championships. The teams combined to set six new UK records with 30 performances now ranked in the school?s all-time top-10 list. The Wildcats also achieved eight NCAA ?A? time standards and 25 NCAA ?B? marks, while 55 times are new career bests.
Complete coverage of the UK swimming and diving teams is available at www.ukathletics.com.
