Nov. 8, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Less than 24 hours after a tough meet with Virginia, the Kentucky swimming teams turned around Saturday morning and earned a convincing win over visiting IUPUI. The Wildcat men produced a 107-88 victory, while the women turned in a 123-73 win.
To open up the meet the UK women got off to a fast start with a win in the 200-medley relay. Sophomore Chatham Penrod took the backstroke leg, sophomore Lindsey Graessle swam the breaststroke leg, with junior Megan Pulskamp taking the butterfly leg and freshman Kelsi Hall anchoring with the freestyle leg to take first in a time of 1:48.23.
The Blue and White kept things going with a one-two-three finish in the 50-backstroke. Freshman Claire Archibald touched first with a clip of 27.64. Penrod came in second with sophomore Jenna Newsome rounding out the punch for the Wildcats. Penrod and Newsome claimed times of 27.92 and 28.29, respectively.
Freshman Jenna Wills was the top UK finisher in the 50-breast. Graessle was next to tap and senior Kelly Rames touched in third for another sweep for the home squad. The trio tapped in times of 31.90, 32.10 and 34.16.
Pulskamp kept things going for Kentucky with a win in the 100-fly. Pulskamp out touched the pack with a time of 58.37. Senior Leah Harms earned a second place finish in the event with a time of 1:02.63.
Hall earned her first collegiate individual victory when she clocked in first in the 50-free with a time of 24.16. Her teammates sophomore Kayla Sergesketter (24.22) and freshman Mandy Myers (24.77) finished right behind her.
Next it was Pulskamp winning her second individual event of the day in the 50-fly. Sergesketter and freshman Lindsay Lash aided the UK sweep in the event as they all touched in times of 26.61, 26.70 and 26.81.
Lash then earned her first individual victory as a Wildcat when she won the 100-individual medley. Junior Casey Miller and junior Sydney Witzky tapped in just behind Lash for another one-two-three finish. Their times were 1:01.43, 1:01.49, and 1:02.44, respectively.
Ending the meet on a positive note, UK also claimed the top spot in the 200-free relay. Hall, freshman Chelsea Peterson, Sergesketter and Pulskamp scored a time of 1:36.67 for the win.
On the men’s side, the Wildcats were equally impressive. Junior Kyle Greene and freshman Patrick Schaler were one-two in the 50-back to take the first individual event of the day. Greene tapped in a time of 25.03 with Schaler coming in at 25.79.
Junior Eric McGinnis (26.57), freshman Grant Cooksey (27.29) and junior Julio Vallette (27.44) finished in order in the 50-breast.
Seniors James Batley and Matt Bierwirth were the top two finishers in the 100-fly. Freshman Mike Crady’s third place finish helped the home team sweep the event. Batley used a time of 53.32, Bierwirth a 54.37 time and Crady tapped in 54.67 for the Blue and White.
Sophomore Colin Faris and freshman Matt Russell were the first to finish in the 50-free, as the duo clocked in times of 21.50 and 21.71, respectively.
Sophomore Tyler Reed led a trio of Kentucky swimmers to finish in the 100-free. Reed (46.57) was followed in by freshman Morne’ Boshoff (49.27) and Schaler (50.22).
McGinnis kept things going for the home team as he claimed first in the 100-back. McGinnis touched in a time of 53.07, while Greene finished just behind him with a time of 54.01.
Vallette earned victory in the 100-breast with a time of 59.22, and Cooksey helped the duo finish one-two in the event in a time of 59.44 to round out the scoring on the men’s side.
Kentucky is off until the two teams travel to the Tennessee Invitational. The event will simulate a championship-like meet with qualifying races in the morning and finals in the evening.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for more information regarding the Kentucky swimming and diving teams.
