CHAPEL HILL, N.C..? Freshman swimmer Tyler Reed is having a break-through meet in Chapel Hill, N.C., at the annual Nike Cup, as the newcomer notched his second win in as many days to lead the Wildcats on Friday.
Reed led a one-two Wildcat punch in the 200-freestyle as sophomore Kyle Greene took second behind his new teammate. Reed logged a 1:38.91 time to claim the event, just 24 hours after bettering the field in the 500-free as well. Greene clocked in at 1:40.07 to secure his best finish so far in the championship-like meet.
The mid-distance race had four other Kentucky swimmers in the top-20, as sophomore Alex Forbes and junior James Batley competed in the finals race, and freshman Reinhardt Strijdom and sophomore Drew Robinson in the consolation heat. Forbes claimed ninth (1:41.74), Batley 12th (1:42.48), Strijdom 15th (1:42.90) and Robinson 19th (1:43.82).
Reed and Greene led off and anchored the winning 800-freestyle relay, respectively, for the other Wildcat win on the evening. Reed took the first leg with a split time of 1:39.62, and was followed by junior Warren Grobbelaar, senior Grant Nelson and Greene to tap in first with a time of 6:41.53.
The Blue and White led off the evening with a second place finish in the 200-medley relay. Junior Shane Eliason combined with senior Kristian Outinen and Grobbelaar and Forbes to place second behind Virginia Tech in a time of 1:30.52.
Nelson claimed a personal-best time in the 400-individual medley and earned bronze along the way with a time of 4:00.69 as he competed in the super-finals of the grueling test of all four strokes. Grobbelaar followed suit with a third-place showing of his own in the 100-butterfly tapping in a time of 49.22.
Forbes earned his second top-10 finish of the night with a ninth place tap in the 100-fly, while junior Joe Retrum took 10th in the event. Forbes and Retrum finished in times of 49.86 and 49.96, respectively. Nelson scored in the third event of the night with a 13th place in a time of 50.38 in the sprint butterfly. Sophomore Travis Muzzillo rounded out the scoring in the event for the Blue and White with a 50.47 time and a hold on 15th place.
Outinen led a pair of breaststrokers competing in the evening races. The senior notched a sixth place showing in the 100-breast with a time of 56.82 and sophomore Julio Vallette claimed his first points of the meet with a 14th place in a time of 59.65, a new career-best.
Eliason and Retrum ended the night on a positive note as well. Eliason?s third place tap in 49.19, is a new personal-best and the third best clip in school history. Retrum placed eighth with a time of 50.71.
On the women?s side, the ladies were led by second place finishes by sophomore Megan Pulskamp and senior Lindsay Myhre in the 100-fly and 100-breast, respectively. Freshman Lindsay Graessle claimed a top-three finish behind Myhre in the 100-breast and the relay teams took home third places in both events for the night to pace the top-five finishes.
Pulskamp clocked a 55.61 time for second place after setting an NCAA ?B? qualifying standard in the morning?s preliminary race with a time of 55.33.
Myhre earned second and an NCAA ?B? qualifying mark with a time of 1:03.08. The time is a new career-best for the senior rounding out her career. Myhre also earned the fifth place seed in the 400-individual medley, but did not participate in the event in the night?s final after setting a personal-best time earlier in the day. Graessle claimed her first NCAA qualifying cut with a ?B? standard time of 1:03.45. The time is also the fourth best in school annals.
Freshman Danielle Weiss also scored in the 100-breast with an 18th place showing after finishing in a time of 1:06.72, easily the best time of the season for the newcomer.
The night began with a third place finish in the 200-medley relay behind the quartet of senior Jill Southerlan, Myhre, Pulskamp and senior Lauren Willis. The four swimmers notched a 1:43.17 time finishing behind Virginia Tech and host North Carolina.
Sophomore Casey Miller was the lone scorer in the 400-IM, placing ninth with a time of 4:29.37.
UK had four swimmers place in the top-20 in the 200-free, led by junior Haleigh Kern?s seventh place showing. Kerns clocked in a time of 1:50.87. Junior Kristina Sledge was the next best finisher placing 12th (1:52.66), freshman Kayla Sergesketter took 15th (1:52.71), Miller 17th (1:52.92) and senior Kelley Morrison 19th (1:53.53).
Southerlan led the way in the 100-back event earning an eight place showing with a time of 57.88. Freshman Jenna Newsome needed just 58.38 to finish 15th in the consolation heat to round out the individual scorers for the night.
Kentucky concluded the night with a third place in the 800-free relay. Sledge, Kerns, Miller, Sergesketter comprised the team that finished in a time of 7:30.38.
The Blue and White return to action for the final day of the Nike Cup on Saturday, at 10 a.m. for the preliminary heats. The finals take place beginning at 6 p.m. Complete coverage of the Wildcats at the championship-like meet can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
