University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Swimmers and Divers Have Success At Invites
December 01, 2000 | Women's Swimming & Diving
PRINCETON, N.J. -- The University of Tennessee women's swimming team had a strong first day on Friday at the Princeton Invitational. Meanwhile, the diving team also had a solid showing at the Alabama Diving Invitational. The swimmers were competing in New Jersey against teams from Brown, Villanova, American and Princeton while the divers were taking on a mostly Southeastern Conference field in Alabama.
Senior Pam Hanson led with the way for UT with a victory in the 200 yard individual medley with a mark of 2:01.56, a career-best and good enough for the NCAA 'B' cut. Also in the A final, Val Conte took sixth with a time of 2:05.88, also a season-best. Sophomore Nicole Brannock competed in the B final of the 200 IM and finished 12th with a season-best time of 2:09.44.
"I thought that today was a very solid first day for our team," head swimming coach Dan Colella said. "In a three-day format, the first day is made up of some of our weaker events, but our team came together and compensated for that with some solid times. We performed exceptionally well in some events including several swimmers with lifetime bests."
In the 500 free, junior Cortney Piper finished second overall in a time of 4:53.57, which also reached the NCAA 'B' cut and marked a career-best. In that same A final, senior Azurdee Engel took sixth with a season-best time of 5:00.23. In the B final, junior Elizabeth Philp took ninth with a mark of 4:58.59 while freshman Raellen Arnold finished 11th in 5:01.51. Rounding out the UT field in the event, Tanya Felton finished 14th in the B final with a time of 5:02.40 while sophomore Lindsey Brock recorded a time of 5:02.91 to finish 17th in the C final.
Tennessee also had a number of swimmers in the 50 free field. In the A final, junior Laura Hancock finished sixth in 24.48 while sophomore Bethany Hall was seventh in a season-best 24.54. Freshman Katie Melka finished 10th while competing in the B final with a time of 24.47 while junior Sara Wingfield was 11th with a time of 24.58. A pair of Lady Vols competed in the C final with junior Courtney Naparlo finishing 20th with a time of 25.00 while senior Jenny Heffernan recorded a mark of 25.25.
The Lady Vols were also strong on the relays on Friday in both the 200 free relay and the 400 medley relay. The 400 medley team of junior Bianca Jones, junior Monica Shannahan, Hanson and Hall won its event with a time of 3:47.96. Another Tennessee squad finished third with a time of 3:51.00 from the team of Conte, Brannock, Hancock and Felton. A third UT quartet competed as an exhibition with Melka, sophomore Melanie Maassen, senior Missy Bell and Philp recording a time of 3:59.25.
The 200 free relay teams also had a successful night. The first UT unit marked a time of 1:35.25 with the team of Hancock, Felton, Melka and Hall to take second overall. Another Lady Vol squad, consisting of Naparlo, Jones, Heffernan and Wingfield, finished sixth with a time of 1:38.31. The final UT team of freshman Amy Danchik, Bell, Norcliffe and Maassen swam an exhibition time of 1:43.94.
With the swimmers in New Jersey, the diving team competed at the University of Alabama Diving Invitational in Tuscaloosa. Sophomore Jaime Sanger finished second on the three-meter board with a score of 492.30 while senior Lizzy Flynt took third with a mark of 482.80. Freshman Kylee Wells rounded out the Tennessee contingent in fifth with a tally of 454.40. Florida's Robyn Grimes won the overall title with a score of 514.55.
Action for both the swimmers and the divers will continue on Saturday at the Princeton Invitational and the Alabama Diving Invitational.
