Hamperian Fourth as Six Named All-Americans at NCAA's
March 19, 2015
Day One Results | 
Hamperian, Galyer Recap Day One
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sophomore diver Rebecca Hamperian placed fourth on 1-meter as two program records were broken and six Wildcats earned All-America accolades on the opening day of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
Making her first NCAA Championships appearance, Hamperian placed fourth on 1-meter and became the first Kentucky women to earn a top-four finish at the national championships since Taryn Ignacio placed third on platform in 2007.
Hamperian earned her first career All-America honors, while five more Wildcats earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades on Thursday. Sophomore Danielle Galyer and seniors Samantha Shaheen, Christina Bechtel and Abby Myers recorded a school record time of 3:33.94 to finish 15th in the 400 medley relay. Galyer’s 100 backstroke leadoff time of 51.76 in the prelims also marked the fastest in program history.
Along with Hamperian on 1-meter, senior Christa Cabot earned her third All-America selection of her career when she placed 15th overall.
“It was a great team effort today,” UK head coach Lars Jorgensen said. “Both Becca and Christa were great on 1-meter and contributed some huge points for us. We’re really pleased that six athletes contributed to our point total on the first day. We have some of our strongest events coming up, so we look forward to being better the next two days.”
After the first day of the NCAA Championships, UK is in 18th place with 21 points. The Wildcats competed in four of the six events on the first day and were one of 33 teams to score points on the opening day of competition.
Cabot earned her third All-America accolades, while Bechtel and Myers were named All-Americans for the second time in their careers. Galyer, Hamperian and Shaheen earned All-America honors for the first time. Forty UK women have now been named All-Americans at the NCAA Championships.
“I’m really proud of the girls today,” UK head diving coach Ted Hautau said. “It was a great performance by both Becca and Christa. Christa showed a lot of senior experience, stayed calm and performed her dives really well. Becca, at her first NCAAs, took a big step forward tonight. She showed a lot of confidence and poise. I really liked how she closed strong at the end of the meet.”
Hamperian scored a 326.64 in the finals after a 317.35 in the prelims. In the finals, the sophomore posted a 47.15 and a 52.80 in the first two rounds before a 57.60 on her third dive. After a 48.10 put her in seventh place after four rounds, Hamperian scored a 61.20 and a 59.80 in her final two dives to move up to fourth in the final standings. Cabot posted a 304.30 in the finals after a 301.75 in the prelims.
In the 400 medley relay, Galyer, Shaheen, Bechtel and Myers broke their own school record with a 3:33.94 in the prelims. They earned the 16th and final seed in the evening’s consolation final. In the finals, the Wildcats scored an identical time of 3:33.94 but moved up a spot to finish 15th overall.
Galyer opened the prelims with a 51.76 in the 100 backstroke to break her own school record. Shaheen also had her fastest time in the prelims, with a 1:01.46 in the 100 breaststroke. Bechtel notched a 51.11 in the 100 butterfly in the finals, while Myers’ 48.85 freestyle time came in prelims.
Freshman Bridgette Alexander made her NCAA debut in the 200 individual medley. In the prelims, she scored a 1:59.51 to place fifth in her heat and 49th overall. Sophomore Kendal Casey also competed in her first NCAA Championships and finished 52nd overall in the 500 freestyle with a 4:51.33.
The NCAA Championships continue Friday and Saturday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. UK will have seven entries in four events on Friday. Live swimming results are available at swmeets.com/Realtime/NCAA/2015/, while diving results can be found on DiveMeets.com. Video from prelims will be streamed on GoPack.com, while ESPN3 and WatchESPN will have a live stream of Friday and Saturday’s finals action.
Additional updates and behind-the-scenes notes and photos can be found at @UKSwimDive, the official Twitter account of the UK swimming and diving program.
For complete news and updates on the Kentucky Swimming and Diving program, go to UKathletics.com/SwimmingDiving. Breaking news, behind-the-scenes updates and more can be found on Twitter at @UKSwimDive and Facebook at Facebook.com/UKSwimDive.
