Badgers in Fifth After First Day of SMU Classic
October 26, 2007 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The University of Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team is in fifth place following the first day of competition at the SMU Classic in Dallas, Texas. The Badgers scored 121.5 points on Friday, leaving them 50.5 points behind first-place Texas AM heading into tomorrow night's finals.
Consisting of host SMU, Florida State, Texas AM, Alabama, USC and Wisconsin, the event kicked off with the 400-yard medley relay. The Badgers took fourth place in the event. The team of freshman Maggie Meyer, sophomore Rosie Morahan, and seniors Jenny Gelden and Hannah McClurg finished in a time of 3:48.05.
In the 400-yard IM, sophomore Gabby Maddalena was the top Badger, finishing in fifth place. She completed the event in a time of 4:27.57. Also earning points in the event for Wisconsin was Morahan as she finished 12th with at time of 4:33.66.
Junior Jen Illescas finished third in the 200-yard freestyle, while Maddalena was 10th. Illescas posted the team's top time of the season in the event, finishing in 1:50.61. Maddalena's time was third-best on the season as she ended in a time of 1:53.00.
Junior Jenny Gelden placed fifth in the 100-yard butterfly. Like Illescas, she too posted the team's best time of the season. Gelden finished with a time of 56.44. Illescas also competed in the event as she finished 10th with a time of 56.94, the team 's second-best time of the year.
On the 1-meter diving board, sophomore Emily Cheffins took fifth with a score of 229.
Freshman Maggie Meyer swam to a time of 57.26, good for fifth, in the 100-yard backstroke. Senior Jackie Vavrek also placed in the event, finishing 11th with a time of 58.04.
In the evening's seventh event, Morahan took sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.28, while Gelden was 10th with a time of 1:07.29.
Vavrek posted the team's best finish of the night as she took second in the 50-yard freestyle. Vavrek finished in an NCAA 'B' time of 23.16. McClurg took ninth in the event, finishing in a time of 24.06.
In the evening's final event, the Badgers took fourth in the 800-yard freestyle relay. The foursome of Illescas, Maddalena, McClurg and Meyer finished in a time of 7:28.55.
The Badgers return to action tomorrow night as they compete in the second and final night of the SMU Classic. The meet will start at 7:30 p.m. Fans can get results by checking back to UWBadgers.com
