Badgers Claim Fourth at Texas Invite
December 02, 2006 | Men's Swimming & Diving
The University of Wisconsin men's and women's swimming and diving teams both earned fourth place at the Texas Invitational. The men's team scored 360 points while the women had 406 points. Arizona emerged as the men's and women's champions after the final day of competition Saturday at Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
In this morning's preliminaries, senior Susan Johnson earned an NCAA- 'A' time in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.60. She went on to claim third place (1:57.93) in this evening's finals.
Meanwhile, Kasey Carpenter and Candice Peak both earned NCAA-'B' times of 2:00.09 and 2:00.29 in the same event, respectively. Carpenter's final time of 2:01.33 was good enough for eighth place.
While swimming in the prelims for the 200-yard butterfly, freshman Jenny Gelden (2:01.73)and sophomore Jen Illescas (2:02.10), each recorded NCAA-'B' times. Gelden went on to take seventh place in the event (2:00.86) while Illescas earned 10th(2:00.99). Libby Brooks had an NCAA-'B' time herself when she notched twelfth place (2:17.60) in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Both of the women's 400-yard free-style relay teams claimed NCAA-'B ' times. Wisconsin's first team of Hannah McClurg, Susan Johnson, Jackie Vavrek and Liz Klanderman took seventh place (3:22.56) and the team of Christine Zwiegers, Rosie Morahan, Kristy Brager and Jen Illescas were less than a second behind them with an eighth place finish (3:23.01).
On the men's side it was sophomore Scott Rice who recorded an NCAA-'B ' time of his own with a time of 1:46.70 in the prelims of the 200-yard butterfly, an event he would later take fourth in (1:45.80).
While competing in the men's 200-yard backstroke, Mike Hopkins registered an NCAA-'B' time of 1:46.90 en route to taking sixth place.
The men's 400-yard freestyle relay team of Kyle Sorensen, Tom Molzahn, Mike Desautels and Phil Davies earned fourth place and an NCAA-'B' time of 2:58.68.
The Wisconsin divers put forth a solid effort as well. In the men's platform Kelly Todd took eighth with a score of 212.15 while Al Morrison placed ninth (171.05). On the women's side freshman Jenny Hawkins claimed 17th (178.70).
The Badgers will take a break to hit the books and study for exams before heading to Honolulu to compete in a dual-meet against Hawaii at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex on January 5th.
