March 14, 2002

Truman Women in the Lead After Day 1 at NCAA Division II Swimming Championships

The defending national champion Truman State University women's swimming team finished the opening day of the NCAA Division II Swimming Championships in first place with a 37-point lead over national rival Drury University.

The Bulldog women collected three national titles and broke three NCAA Division II records on Day 1. Freshman Diana Betsworth (East Moline, Ill./United Township) captured the national championship in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:55.47, a clocking that tops former teammate and current Truman assistant coach Jess Martin's record time (9:55.86) set at last year's national meet. Betsworth was more than nine seconds ahead of the next closest competitor, which was Truman senior Bridget Riley (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South). In fact, Bulldog athletes placed in each of the top four spots in that event.

Junior Liz Hug (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville) led a 1-2 finish in the 200-yard individual medley and broke a nine-year old NCAA Division II mark and the school standard with her time of 2:02.98. Junior Kelli Dudley (Topeka, Kan./Topeka West) was second in the same event.

Truman also won the 200-yard medley relay in a school-record clocking of 1:44.22, a figure that was more than a second faster than the previous Division II record, also set nine years ago. Members of the Bulldog 200 medley relay team are freshman Christina Blose (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North), junior Sara Hatcher (Kingdom City, Mo./North Callaway), junior Meghan Osborn (Tipton, Iowa) and sophomore Krista Pray (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North).

Hatcher placed second in the 50-yard freestyle with a school record time of 23.33.

In all, the Truman women have tallied 192 points for the overall lead. Drury is second with 155, followed by North Dakota with 81.

On the men's side, the Bulldogs are currently in seventh place with 38 points. Cal State-Bakersfield leads with 119.

The men's 200-yard medley relay team placed seventh in the final with a school record time of 1:32.76. Sophomore Andy Harken (Liberty, Mo.), junior Matt Pray (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North), sophomore Brian Teson (Kansas City, Mo./St. Pius X) and junior Drew Yemm (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) are members of that squad.

Yemm also finished the 50-yard freestyle in 21.14 seconds, good enough for 11th place. Senior Kyle Sterup (Fremont, Neb.) led the men in the 1000-yard free with a 12th-place showing and a school record time of 9:32.22.

Harken finished the 200-yard individual medley in 1:55.99, good enough for 15th.

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