Mar. 16, 2001
By J.R. Belew, Athletics Media Relations Assistant

Bulldog Women in Second After Day 2 of NCAA Division II Swimming Championships

With the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships about half completed, the Truman women slipped into second place in the women's standings on Thursday, but are still well within striking distance of current leader, Drury, which has a 22-point lead. The Bulldog women have tallied 321 points to Drury's 343. Truman leads third-place North Dakota by 139.5 points.

On the men's side, Truman moved up to 15th with 22 points, and currently stands seven back of 14th-place Ashland (Ohio).

In Day 2 (Thursday) results, the Bulldog women crowned two more national champions, including senior Jess Martin (Buckingham, Iowa/Cedar Falls), who won the 200-yard freestyle with a school record time of 1:50.32. In Wednesday's opening round, Martin also claimed the title in the 1000-yard freestyle in the event's first ever running at the Division II championships. Martin's time in the 1000 free (9:55.86) not only sets a Truman record, but also a Division II record as she easily outdistanced the rest of the field.

Martin also teamed with sophomore Sara Hatcher (Kingdom City, Mo./North Callaway), freshman Katie May (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central), and senior Bryna Busch (Leawood, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) in the 200-yard freestyle relay as that team placed first with a time of 1:34.17, another school record.

In the 400-yard individual medley, sophomore Kelli Dudley (Topeka, Kan./Topeka West) earned a runner-up finish with a school record time of 4:24.22. In the same event, senior Christie Williamsen (Downer's Grove, Ill./Downer's Grove North) placed 16th in 4:43.29.

The 100-yard butterfly saw another Bulldog record fall as sophomore Liz Hug's (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville) sixth-place time of 57.47 seconds established a new school standard. Freshman Alison Blyth (Clive, Iowa/Dowling) placed ninth (58.51 seconds), while freshman Krista Pray (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) was 14th in 59.31 seconds.

In the men's 100-yard butterfly, sophomore Matt Pray (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) set a new school record with his preliminary time of 49.21 seconds and went on to place second in the event, with a time of 49.28. Pray's second-place finish is the highest finish ever by a Bulldog male swimmer.

With Martin winning the 200 free, the Bulldogs went 1-2 in that event with Busch capturing second with a time of 1:51.42. Hug brought home seventh (1:54.21) and senior Andrea Newton (Clive, Iowa/Home-Schooled) 12th (1:54.53).

Truman's 400-yard medley relay team, comprised of Dudley, Williamsen, Hug and Busch placed fifth on Thursday with a time of 3:55.43.

In other notes from Wednesday's opening round, Katie May's second-place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle came in her first ever competitive swim in that event. School records to fall on Wednesday were by Dudley in the women's 200-yard individual medley, and by the 200-yard medley relay team. Freshman Robby Cooper (Holden, Mo.) broke the men's school record in the 1000-yard freestyle.

Finals on Friday include the 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly and 800-yard freestyle relay.

The championships continue through Saturday in Canton, Ohio.

Men's Swim Releases | Women's Swim Releases
Men's Swimming | Women's Swimming | Truman Athletics