Feb. 16, 1998

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team stand in third place after two days of the 1998 Southeastern Conference Championships, held at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the University of Florida campus.

The UK men are in fifth place after two days with 33 points. The UK women have totaled 43 points to rank behind only Florida (61) and South Carolina (54).

Senior All-American Beth Leake has the Wildcats’ best performance to-date, scoring a second-place finish on the one-meter diving board. Leake scored 415.90 points, second only to Florida’s Heather Lawrence who had 445.00. Christy Soulakis, the 1997 SEC Diver of the Year finished 11th in the event, while Sarah Fields and Carrie Knoeber placed 15th and 18th, respectively.

Soulakis led the UK women on the three-meter, turning in a sixth-place finish with a score of 494.50. Fields and Knoeber finished 14th and 15th, while Leake placed 22nd.

Senior Paco Rivera registered a pair of top six finishes to lead the UK men. The All-American was fourth in the one-meter competition with a score of 524.05 and sixth on the three-meter with a score of 506.40. Alex Hawley also finished in the top 15 in both events, placing 14th on the one-meter and 15th on the three meter.

The SEC Championships continue through Sunday, with the finals of the men’s and women’s platform diving competition coming Tuesday.