The Kentucky women?s swimming and diving team begins competition Thursday at the NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga. The action at Georgia?s Gabrielsen Natatorium is scheduled to begin with preliminary rounds at 11 a.m. EST. Finals of each event are slated to start at 7 p.m. EST.
The lady Cats return to the NCAA Championships with five performers who helped UK finish 18th last season in West Lafayette, Ind.
Divers Taryn Ignacio and Jessica Thompson, as well as breaststroke swimmer Laura Graham, each will be appearing in their third straight NCAA Championships.
Ignacio, a two-time SEC platform champion, and Thompson are both coming off successful showings at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships this past weekend. Ignacio advanced from Zones by placing second in the platform while Thompson qualified by finishing fourth in the 3-meter. Ignacio will be looking to improve on last season?s ninth-place finish in the platform at the NCAA Championships while Thompson returns to better her 11th-place finish in the 3-meter.
Graham, a senior from E. Sussex, England, had an outstanding 2005 NCAA Championships becoming the first Wildcat to collect four All-American selections in a single NCAA meet. The senior finished eighth and 16th respectively in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Graham was also a part of the Cats? ninth place 200 medley relay team.
Returning for their second stint at the NCAA Championships will be Heather and Jenny Bradford. The two sophomores both swam in individual events and as a part of relay teams in 2005. The duo will be competing this weekend in the 50 freestyle event and will be on all four of the Cats? relay teams.
Competing in their first NCAA Championships will be junior diver Joey Brown, junior freestyle swimmer Nikia Deveaux, senior freestyle swimmer Joanna McLean and sophomore backstroke swimmer Jill Southerlan. Brown qualified to take part in all three diving events this weekend with her performances at the Zone Diving Championships. Deveaux and McLean will be a part of UK?s 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams while Southerlan will be a part of the Cats? 200 and 400 medley relay teams.
Thursday?s action in the peach state gets started with the 200 freestyle relay, the 50 freestyle, the 400 medley relay and the 1-meter diving event.
Fans can check ukathletics.com for times and a recap following the conclusion of the day?s events.
