Feb. 18, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. – On the first night of competition at the Southeastern Conference Championships three Kentucky relays set new school records to cap off the start of the 2009 chase for the crown. UK’s women shattered the 200-medley and 800-freestyle relays, while the men duplicated the feat in the 200-medley relay.
UK’s women began the night with a sixth place showing and a new school record in the 200-medley relay. The quartet of sophomores Chatham Penrod and Lindsey Graessle, junior Megan Pulskamp and sophomore Kelsi Hall touched in a time of 1:38.31 for an NCAA ‘B’ time standard. The group eclipses a three-year old UK record time of 1:39.19 set in 2006.
Kentucky’s men equaled the performance earning a sixth place finish behind a new school record time of 1:27.00. Senior Joe Retrum, juniors Eric McGinnis and Elvis Burrows and senior Shane Eliason formed the quartet that now holds the UK record in the event in their NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time standard performance. The time tops the 1:27.14 mark set just a season ago.
The Blue and White’s women then shattered a 10-year old school record in the 800-free relay with a seventh place finish in a time of 7:16.97. Junior Casey Miller, freshman Chelsea Peterson, senior Kelly Rames and junior Anna Sirmon set the new record and another NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time standard. The previous school record set back in 1999 was a clip of 7:21.89.
The Wildcat men tapped in a fifth place finish in the 800-freestyle relay earning an NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time standard. Sophomore Tyler Reed, junior Kyle Greene, freshman Morne’ Boshoff and sophomore Reinhardt Strijdom tapped in a time of 6:26.87 in earning NCAA qualification to cap off an impressive start to the 2009 SEC Championships.
On the boards, senior Justin Smith earned points for the Wildcats with a 16th place finish on the one-meter springboard. Smith tallied a 259.60 score in the event. Freshman Tom Gimm placed 19th overall by tallying a 204.85 score in his first career SEC Championships.
Sophomore Jessie Snowden placed 12th overall on the women’s three-meter springboard. Snowden recorded a 285.40 score in the event to earn her fourth consecutive scoring event in her collegiate career at the conference meet.
Live results of the meet can be by visiting the official host of the 2009 SEC Championships Auburn’s home page, www.auburntigers.com.
A complete recap following each day of events can be found at UK’s official home page. Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for all of the news and notes about the UK swimming and diving teams.
Event 1 Men’s One-Meter Diving
Justin Smith
16th 259.60
Tom Gimm
19th 204.85
Event 2 Men’s 200-Medley Relay
Retrum, McGinnis, Burrows, Eliason
6th (22.71, 23.90, 20.81, 19.58) 1:27.00 NCAA “B” cut (school record)
Event 3 Women’s 200-Medley Relay
Penrod, Graessle, Pulskamp, Hall
6th (25.05, 28.02, 22.84, 22.40) 1:38.31 NCAA “B” cut (school record)
Event 4 Women’s Three-Meter Diving
Jessie Snowden
12th 285.40
Event 5 Men’s 800-Freestyle Relay
Reed, Greene, Boshoff, Strijdom
5th (1:34.74, 1:36.94, 1:37.86, 1:37.33) 6:26.87 NCAA “B” cut
Event 6 Women’s 800-Freestyle Relay
Miller, Peterson, Rames, Sirmon
7th (1:48.84, 1:48.64, 1:49.66, 1:49.83) 7:16.97 NCAA “B” cut (school record)
