LEXINGTON, Ky.?The University of Kentucky women?s swimming and diving team finished 22nd in the final College Swimming Coaches Association of America Top 25, prior to the NCAA Championships in March.
Kentucky?s squad was led by three-time SEC Diver of the Year Taryn Ignacio, and the first winning relay team in school history.
Ignacio became just the second diver in SEC history to three-peat on the platform event when she achieved the feat in her home waters earlier this month. The Richmond, Ky., native also captured her fifth SEC crown when she won the 1-meter event. In three seasons with the Wildcats she claimed five SEC crowns, the most of any athlete in school history. She was the runner-up in total points scored at the 2007 Championships. Ignacio added to her medal-count with silver on the 3-meter board, while junior Kari Retrum took bronze.
In addition to the success on the boards, the UK swimming team achieved a first in school annals when the quartet of juniors Heather and Jenny Bradford, senior Nikia Deveaux and junior Lauren Willis claimed gold in the 200-free relay. They crushed the NCAA ?A? standard on their way to setting school and Lancaster Aquatic Center records with a time of 1:29.27. The time is currently the second-best mark in the nation behind only Arizona.
All four swimmers and Ignacio were named to the first team all-SEC. It was the third time in Ignacio?s career she was among the first team, and the first for the four swimmers.
Adding to the medal count for the Blue and White was Heather Bradford who placed second in the 100-butterfly, and Jenny Bradford took silver in the 50-free. On the first night of competition the 200-medley relay team earned bronze. The quartet was comprised of freshman Chatham Penrod, junior Lyndsey Myhre and both Bradfords.
The Lady Wildcats placed fourth overall at this year?s Championships, behind Auburn, Georgia and Florida. This marks the third consecutive season the women have finished fourth in the conference meet.
This week Ignacio and her teammate Kari Retrum will compete in Zone Diving, their qualifying meet for the NCAA Championships, beginning on March 2. Ignacio?s quest to repeat as a National Champion on the platform hinders on her performance in Athens, Ga., this weekend.
The women?s NCAA Championships is slated for March 8-10, in Minneapolis, Minn.
Final College Swimming Coaches Association of America Top 25
1 Stanford (9) 270
2 California 258
3 Auburn 254
4 Arizona 243
5 Texas A&M 235
6 Florida 223
7 Georgia 211
8 Indiana 199
9 Florida State 194
10 Texas 183
11 Michigan 181
12 Southern Methodist 176
13 UCLA 163
14 Southern California 153
14 Tennessee 153
16 Penn State 143
17 North Carolina 120
18 Wisconsin 117
19 Notre Dame 110
20 Virginia 99
21 Minnesota 82
22 Kentucky 80
23 Princeton 73
24 Arizona State 62
25 Rutgers 53
