TUSCALOOSA, Ala.? The University of Kentucky swimming and diving teams are in action this week at the 2008 SEC Championships, hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The UK women are coming off three consecutive seasons placing fourth in the conference meet. A year ago the women were led by their first-ever SEC Champion relay team. The 200-free relay team bested the conference and set new pool records in the process. Three women return to the squad from last year?s triumph. Seniors Heather and Jenny Bradford and Lauren Willis will look to repeat their break-through performance from last year. The Wildcat men are looking to rebound from a disappointing eighth place finish in 2007.
Heather Bradford earned her first career SEC medal when she took second overall in the 100-fly as a junior, while Jenny Bradford scored a second place finish for the second consecutive season in the 50-free. Both seniors will look to finish out their careers with wins in their marquee events. Both swimmers have notched top-16 performances in the 50-free, 100-free and 100-fly in each of the past two years at the conference meet.
Senior Will Vietti also notched his first ever SEC medal a year ago, and since then has been a torpedo in the breaststroke events nationally and internationally. Vietti took second in the 100-breast and fourth overall in the 200-breast. He went on to score his first All-America honorable mention nod, and then placed seventh in the 100-breast at the 2007 ConcoPhillips National Championships.
Senior diver Kari Retrum was the SEC Freshman Diver of the Year in 2004 after winning the platform event in her first season. Since then she has struggled with injuries, but emerged as a top performer again as a junior where she claimed bronze on the three-meter and fourth on both the one-meter and platform. Retrum most recently was named SEC Diver of the Week after UK?s win over Cincinnati when she scored the best scores of the season.
The 2008 senior class will be looked upon as leaders at this year?s conference championships. Blair Barrett has placed in the top-20 in the 400-individual medley and the 200-backstroke in each of the past two seasons. Kelley Morrison has tallied top times in the distance free style events during dual meet action this season. Lindsay Myhre placed in the top-20 in both breaststroke events at the SEC Championships in each of her three seasons, with a career-best 10th place showing in the 100-breast last season. As a senior, she has achieved three of her personal best times this season, including an NCAA qualifying mark in the 100-breast. Grant Nelson has tallied three of his career-best times in his final campaign with the Wildcats, including the 200-butterfly. He captured his second consecutive second place finish in the 200-fly at the Nike Cup in November and is a three-time member of the SEC Championship team. Kristian Outinen is a three-time participant in the SEC Championships, where he has placed in the top-five in the breaststroke events three times, including a bronze medal in the 100-breast in 2006. Beth Parsons had a break-out season in 2007, where she competed in her first career SEC Championships where she earned 20th in the 50-free, while finishing in a career-best time at the conference meet. Jill Southerlan is a three-time member of the SEC Championship team where she has placed in the top-16 in the 100-back in every season. This season, she achieved a personal best time in the 200-individual medley. Willis earned All-SEC first team as a member of the 200-free relay team in her first year with the Wildcats a year ago, and also placed in the top-16 in the 50-free as a junior.
Kentucky?s women team compiled a 5-4 dual meet record and has finished the season with wins in their last two meets. Sophomore Megan Pulskamp has emerged as a top finisher for the Blue and White and has tallied NCAA ?B? cuts in both butterfly events. Pulskamp won the 200-fly at the Nike Cup in November. Freshmen Lindsey Graessle and Jessie Snowden have also had incredible first years for the Wildcats. Graessle has tallied a ?B? cut in the 100-breast and ranks in the top-two on the team in both breaststroke events. Snowden has been a force on the boards, earning Freshman Diver of the Week and Zone qualifying marks throughout the season.
The men scored a 4-5 dual meet record, and have also concluded the season with two wins. Juniors Warren Grobbelaar and Shane Eliason will be looked to for repeat performances from a year ago. Grobbelaar was the only Wildcat to score three top-10 individual performances as a freshman at the conference meet. Eliason has enjoyed a career season, earning his career best times in the 100- and 200-back and 200- and 400-individual medleys. Sophomores Eric McGinnis and Alex Forbes are looking to have a break-out performance in the sprint freestyle events after earning points for the Blue and White in their first years at last season?s SEC Championships. Freshman Tyler Reed has had the most impact on the team for the first year performers. He is the only Wildcat to have tallied an NCAA qualifying mark (in the 500-free) and he also captured two wins at the Nike Cup in November.
Complete coverage and results of the UK swimming and diving teams will be available at www.ukathletics.com. To follow a live blog and see winner?s interviews log on to www.rolltide.com, the official host website of the University of Alabama.
