March 20, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior diver Lisa Faulkner posted the second highest score on the women’s platform in Kentucky diving history on Saturday, and the UK women’s swimming and diving team closed out the 2011 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
Faulkner entered the finals in seventh place after recording a then-career high score of 294.95. In the finals, Faulkner outperformed herself again, increasing her score to 311.95, the second best mark in school history, to finish in fifth place and earn Kentucky 14 valuable points to its final team score.
“Lisa finished her collegiate career on a great note,” UK diving coach Ted Hautau said. “What an incredible performance. She hit every dive in the preliminaries and then again in the finals. To have her career-best performance in her biggest moment was special and a great way to go out. That was fun.”
Also competing Saturday in Austin were seniors Chatham Penrod, Kayla Sergesketter and Lindsey Graessle. Penrod competed in the 200 backstroke and tapped in with a time of 1:56.87. In the 100 freestyle, Sergesketter raced to a time of 49.89. Finally, Graessle finished the 200 breaststroke in 2:17.44.
Kentucky entered Saturday with four points and finished the day and the championships with 18 to earn a 28th place finish in the country.
Up next for the swimming and diving program will be the men’s championships. Star freshman diver Greg Ferrucci, the Southeastern Conference Freshman Diver of the Year, will represent the Wildcats in Minneapolis, Minn., for the men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships beginning March 24 and running through March 26.
Check out UKathletics.com for all Kentucky swimming and diving news.
2011 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
Austin, Texas
March 17-19, 2011
Day Three
200 Backstroke
33. Chatham Penrod 1:56.87
100 Freestyle
47. Kayla Sergesketter 49.89
200 Breaststroke
50. Lindsey Graessle 2:17.44
Platform Diving
5. Lisa Faulkner 294.95 (Preliminaries) 311.95 (Finals)
Final Team Rankings
28. Kentucky 18 points
