Feb. 22, 2002
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Kentucky men stand in seventh place and the women eighth as the fifth day of action continued at the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championships at the University of Arkansas’ HPER Natatorium. The men have 224 points while the women have 170 points.
Freshman Caitlin Muldoon kicked off Friday night for the women by placing 14th in the 400 IM with a time of 4:31.66. Freshman Marci Vrooman was up next for the Cats, collecting a NCAA provisional time and placing 14th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:50.47. Senior Carolyn Rader also made the 200 freestyle consolation finals, but was forced to pull out due to a chronic sore shoulder. However, the senior may still swim tomorrow.
Freshman Jessica Siegele finished ninth overall as the Cats placed two swimmers in the consolation finals of the 100 backstroke. Siegele touched the wall with a time of 56.51 while sophomore Shawna Sechrist clocked a 57.28 for a 13th-place finish.
For the men, sophomore Joey Faltraco continued to be one of the strongest Wildcat swimmers over the course of the championships as he obliterated his previous record in the 400 IM, clocking a time of 3:52.63 in the preliminaries to break his old record by 1.47 seconds. In the finals, Faltraco swam a 3:54.38 for a seventh-place finish. Swimming the opening leg of the 400 medley relay to close out the night, Faltraco again bettered his own record, clocking a 49.66 in the 100 backstroke.
Junior co-captain Roger Watkins also picked up individual points for the men’s team. UK’s record holder in the 100 breaststroke, Watkins placed 14th with a time of 56.17.
As was the case on Thursday, multiple UK top-10 times continued to fall prey to the 2002 Wildcats during Friday’s preliminary round. Muldoon’s preliminary time of 4:30.34 in the 400 IM is the ninth-best time ever recorded by a female at UK. For the men, sophomores Daniel Wimer and Fernando Barros swam into the third and sixth spots on the 100 butterfly list with times of 49.87 and 50.08, respectively. Barros also inserted his name into the third slot of the 100 backstroke list with a time of 50.81 in the preliminaries. Senior David Kuendig also got into the action, placing eighth on the 400 IM list (4:00.76).
“We are a little disappointed with today’s swims,” UK Coach Gary Conelly said. “We had 16 lifetime best times this morning and we had a few guys who finished in 17th 0r 18th place in the preliminaries that just missed swimming tonight. With those times, we might be a little higher up in the standings. Joey’s (Faltraco) 400 IM was a great swim as was Marci’s (Vrooman) 200 freestyle. Jessica Siegele winning the consolation finals was also great for us and her.
“We have to do a really good job tomorrow. We have a big day ahead of us. We need to put the disappointment of today behind us and come out ready to go tomorrow. With some good swims we can catch one or two of the teams ahead of us.”
The championships will conclude on Saturday with the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 1,650 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay.
SEC Champion and UK FinishesPl. NameYRSchoolPrelims Finals (UK Seed)Women's 400 IM1. Maggie BowenJRAU4:15.104:08.4014. Caitlin MuldoonFRUK4:30.344:31.66 (14)19. Cami MillerFRUK4:34.51
Men’s 400 IM1. Kevin ClementsSRAU3:48.793:44.267. Joey FaltracoSOUK3:52.633:54.38 (7)18. Eddie ClementJRUK4:00.3919. David KuendigSRUK4:00.7624. Chris ManceFRUK4:13.84X-Mike ArceFRUK4:09.18
Women’s 100 Butterfly1. Demerae ChrstiansonSOAU53.4853.2020. Debra HinsleySRUK57.1322. Xenavee PangelinanFRUK57.3028. Emily JohnstonJRUK58.24
Men’s 100 Butterfly1. Zsolt GasparSRUSC47.1746.6022. Daniel WimerSOUK49.8724. Fernando BarrosSOUK50.0832. Clay GasparovichFRUK51.4733. Aaron CukerJRUK51.5835. Matt NilsonJRUK51.6437. Derek PerkinsSRUK52.3538. Russ ThrockmortonSOUK52.74
Women’s 200 Freestyle1. Stefanie WilliamsSRUGA1:47.541:44.9414. Marci VroomanFRUK1:50.531:50.47 (11)17. Carolyn RaderSRUK1:51.15Withdrew (14)19. Tracy SullivanSRUK1:52.5021. Chrissy MillerFRUK1:52.6828. Amanda BourgeoisFRUK1:53.9034. Sarah HoppeSRUK1:55.11
Men’s 200 Freestyle1. Adam SiouiFRUF1:36.521:34.9119. Daniel CruzFRUK1:39.6020. Ryan BowmanFRUK1:40.5123. Adam GustafsonJRUK1:41.23X-Jon CartledgeFRUK1:44.65X-Dane RedingerFRUK1:46.91
Women’s 100 Breaststroke1. Anne PoleskaSOUALA1:01.951:00.9919. Kendra TrahanSOUK1:06.74
Men’s 100 Breaststroke1. Pat CalhounJRUA54.1053.4714. Roger WatkinsJRUK55.7456.17 (13)19. Aaron CukerJRUK57.5123. Jamie PeterkinSOUK1:00.08X-Mike ArceFRUK1:00.52
Women’s 100 Backstroke4. Kirsty CoventryFRAU54.5953.829. Shawna SechristSOUK56.8256.51 (12)13. Jessica SiegeleFRUK56.8457.28 (13)20. Jenaca PumphreySOUK59.2323. Sarah CarterSRUK58.41X-Kelly NealJRUK1:01.44
Men’s 100 Backstroke1. Chris KellamSOUF48.2847.8717. Fernando BarrosSOUK50.8125. Cody NathJRUK52.58
Women’s 400 Medley Relay1. Auburn (Coventry, Bowen, Christianson, Coparropa)3:36.028. Kentucky (Siegele, Trahan, Pangelinan, Vrooman)3:49.20
Men’s 400 Medley Relay1. Auburn (Hampleman, Calhoun, Haidinyak, Wochomurka)3:09.998. Kentucky (Faltraco, Watkins, Wimer, Barros)3:19.05
Team StandingsMen 1. Auburn5602. Florida5073. Georgia3514. Tennessee3375. S. Carolina2666. Alabama2437. Kentucky2248. LSU138
Women1. Georgia4942. Florida482.53. Auburn475.54. Alabama267.55. LSU2606. S. Carolina234.57. Tennessee1848. Kentucky1709. Arkansas153
-UK-
