NCAA Swimming Championships Update: Day Two
Friday, March 22, 2002 | Women's Swimming & Diving
After a rough start to the 2002 NCAA Championships hosted in Austin, Texas the No. 7 University of Florida women's swimming and diving team scored six lifetime best finishes in the preliminary rounds on the second day of competition Friday. The Lady Gators have qualified eight swims into the finals competition.
The morning started with a season-best performance with the 200-yard medley relay team of junior Renate du Plessis (Capetown, South Africa), junior Cerian Gibbes (Trinidad), junior Cara Teague (Sugarland, Texas) and senior Leah Martindale (St. James, Barbados) with their time of 1:40.79.
Sara McLarty (DeLand, Fla.) led UF in the 400-yard individual medley with her lifetime best finish of 4:12.51 claiming sixth and a spot in the finals. Taking ninth in the event, sophomore Jaime Ellis (Spring, Texas) will compete in the consolation finals.
The 500-yard freestyle will be the first event of the week that Florida will have multiple scorers in one event. Freshman Rebecca Harper (Richmond, Va.) finished 10th in the 100-yard butterfly (53.85) with du Plessis on her heels in 11th (53.88). Soon after, UF posted multiple scorers in the 200-yard freestyle again with two swimmers in scoring position. Sophomore Chantal Gibney (Dublin, Ireland) led the attack placing ninth (1:46.66) and sophomore Janelle Atkinson in 12th (1:47.19).
Florida rounded out the morning competition with du Plessis taking 15th in the 100-yard backstroke, scoring another collegiate best (55.05).
Friday's finals will begin at 7 p.m. at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the campus of the University of Texas.
