The 22nd-ranked University of Kentucky men?s swimming and diving team turned in a solid second day at the 2004 NCAA Men?s Swimming and Diving Championships in East Meadow, N.Y., scoring two top-10 finishes. Kentucky sits in 18th place with 51 points going into Saturday?s final day of competition.

The Kentucky 800-meter freestyle relay team of juniors Daniel Cruz and Jerram Chudleigh and sophomores Daniel Farnham and Steven Manley completed the event in 7:13.95 to place ninth overall. The time converts to 6:28.82 in yards, breaking the school record the same quartet established at last month?s SEC Championships by over two seconds. The 2003 Kentucky 800 freestyle relay team placed 16th at the 2003 NCAA Championships.

Manley scored his first career NCAA top-10 individual-event finish Friday, completing the 200-meter freestyle event in 1:46.98 to place 10th after earning a spot in the consolation final with a preliminary-round time of 1:46.65. His preliminary time, when converted to yards from meters, measures 1:35.56, which breaks the Kentucky record time he established at last month?s SEC Championships. Manley placed 22nd in this event at the 2003 NCAA Championships.

Cruz took 13th place with a 53.20 in the 100-meter butterfly consolation final after earning his spot with a 53.04 in the afternoon preliminary round. The latter time converts to 47.52 in yards and shatters the Kentucky record time of 47.89 Cruz set at the Nike Cup in Chapel Hill, N.C. last November. Cruz placed 40th in this event at the 2003 NCAA Championships.

Junior Mario Rodriguez placed 27th in the three-meter diving event with a score of 280.35.

The final day of the 2004 NCAA Men?s Swimming and Diving Championships begins Saturday at 12 p.m. EST.