March 18, 1998

The University of Kentucky women’s swimming & diving team rounds out the 1997-98 season this weekend at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, held at the University of Minnesota.

The Wildcats will look to return to the upper echelon of college swimming after last season’s 24th-place finish. UK, currently ranked 15th in the Speedo/College Swimming Coaches Association poll, turned in a 14th-place showing at the 1996 NCAA Championship meet. Junior Rachel Komisarz and freshman Melissa Olson will lead the UK charge, as both are ranked in the top 20 in more than one event.

Komisarz has the nation’s fourth-best time in the 200 butterfly with a mark of 1:58.23, and the country’s sixth-fastest time in the 100 butterfly with her 53.84 result. Olson ranks second nationally in the 400 individual medley with her time of 4:11.39 and stands 12th nationally in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.02

Senior All-American Beth Leake leads the UK diving contingent, having qualified on both the one and three-meter springboards. The Championships begin Thursday and run through Saturday. The 1998 NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships take place next weekend at Auburn University.