NCAA Prelims: Day One
Thursday, March 18, 2010 | Women's Swimming & Diving
With the first day of the 2010 NCAA Championship meet under way in West Lafayette, Ind., on the Purdue University campus, the Florida women started with a bang, taking down two school records in the women's 200-yard free relay, the 50-yard free and qualifying four individuals and two relays for Thursday evening finals. Senior Gemma Spofforth (West Sussex, England) swam a Boilermaker Aquatic Center record in her leadoff 100-yard back in the 400 medley relay, while sophomore Melani Costa-Schmid (Palma de Mallorca, Spain), freshman Corinne Showalter (Sarasota, Fla.) and sophomore Shara Stafford (Topeka, Kan.) all swam career-best marks for the Gators in their respective events.
“We had a really great morning session,” head coach Gregg Troy said. “Today is probably our weakest day out of the three days and we swam pretty well, with the exception of a little slip-up for Gemma in the 200-yard IM. She swam a great race, but didn't finish the freestyle leg as strong as we would've hoped. What Gemma did do was put all her effort towards our relays and that helped tremendously. This is as good a first-day morning we've had in awhile at the NCAA meet and we'll look forward to tonight's session.”
Stafford started the day off with a UF record 22.16 split in the 50 free in the women's 200-yard free relay to lead the Gators to a second-place seed heading into finals. Spofforth, senior Stephanie Napier (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and sophomore Sarah Bateman (Orlando, Fla.) collaborated to take down the Florida record, 1:28.15, set last season, with a 1:27.93 swim in the first race of the 2010 NCAA meet.
Costa-Schmid became UF's sole qualifier in the 500-yard free, securing a 15th place prelims finish with a career-best 4:42.22. Showalter finished 24th in the event with a career best 4:44.27 and freshman Jamie Bohunicky (Gainesville, Fla.) rallied for 38th in the field of athletes.
Spofforth additionally swam a race worthy of return in the 200-yard IM (1:57.39), and also as a member of the 400-yard medley relay after swimming a 52.04 100 back leg to kick off the final swimming event of prelims. Under Spofforth's watch, sophomores Lindsay Rogers (Fishers, Ind.), Jemma Lowe (Hartlepool, England) and Stafford swam a 3:32.23 to qualify the Gator 400 medley relay for the championship final behind Arizona and Stanford.
Stafford individually qualified for finals in the 50-yard free with a 22.22 in preliminaries, while Bateman will represent the Gators in the consolation heat after turning in a 22.47 in the morning session.
Florida senior diver Kara Salamone (Cooper City, Fla.) and junior Monica Dodson (Franklin, Ind.) represented the Orange and Blue on the one-meter springboard competition Thursday afternoon, Salamone solidifying 20th (279.00) and Dodson claiming 31st (251.60). Finals from the Purdue campus will kick off Thursday evening at 7 p.m. (ET).
THURSDAY PRELIMINARY RESULTS
F – Florida record
* – Career best
200-yard free relay
2. 1:27.93 – Stafford (22.16 UF record lead off), Spofforth, Napier, Bateman F
500-yard free
15. Melani Costa-Schmid: 4:42.22 – finals qualifier*
24. Corinne Showalter: 4:44.27*
38. Jamie Bohunicky: 4:45.44
200-yard individual medley
13. Gemma Spofforth: 1:57.39 – consolation qualifier
45. Kirsten Smith: 2:00.79
50-yard free
3. Shara Stafford: 22.22 – finals qualifier * (set UF record 22.16 in 200 FR leadoff split)
16. Sarah Bateman: 22.47 – consolation qualifier
25. Stephanie Napier: 22.66
49. Liz Kemp: 23.09
400-yard medley relay
3. 3:32.23 – Spofforth (52.04 leadoff 100 back; pool record), Rogers, Lowe, Stafford
One-meter diving
20. Kara Salamone: 279.00
31. Monica Dodson: 251.60
-UF-
