March 17, 2001

TRUMAN WOMEN'S SWIM TEAM WINS DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Huston Claims Second Straight Coach of the Year Honor, Martin Named Swimmer of the Year

To win the Division II national championship seemed the next logical step in the progression for the Truman women's swim team, which placed third in 1999 and second in 2000.

On Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, the Bulldog women took that next step, capturing the University's first national title in any sport in school history. The 'Dogs finished the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships with 656 points to outdistance second-place and defending national champion Drury, which ended with 610.5 points. Third-place went to University of California-San Diego, with 413.5 points.

Head coach Seth Huston, for the second consecutive year and third time in the last four seasons, was named the NCAA Division II Women's Coach of the Year.

Senior Jess Martin (Buckingham, Iowa/Cedar Falls) won six national championships this year and earned NCAA Division II Women's Swimmer of the Year honors. She set a Division II record in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:55.86.

Title No. 6 of 2001 for Martin came on Saturday night when she won the 1,650-yard freestyle in a school-record time of 16:45.01, as the Bulldogs kept Drury at arm's length after reclaiming the lead on Friday evening.

Martin, who finishes her Truman career with seven total national championships, also helped the 400-yard freestyle relay chart a second-place finish on the night.

Martin's six championships this year came in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard free, 1,000-yard free, 1,650-yard free, 200-yard free relay and 800-yard free relay.

Other members of the 200 free relay squad were freshman Katie May (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central), senior Bryna Busch (Leawood, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) and sophomore Sara Hatcher (Kingdom City, Mo./North Callaway). The 800 free relay team included May, senior Andrea Newton (Clive, Iowa/Home-schooled) and sophomore Liz Hug (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville), in addition to Martin.

Truman sophomore Kelli Dudley (Topeka, Kan./Topeka West) also won an individual national championship this year in the 100-yard backstroke.

In the 800 free relay, Martin is one of four repeat national champions, along with Newton (800 free relay), Busch (200 free relay) and Hatcher (200 free relay).

The Truman men's swim team also competed at the national meet and finished 16th with 44 points.

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