March 17, 2002
Back to Back! Women's Swimming Team Wins Second Straight National Title
The Truman State University women's swimming team captured its second consecutive national championship on Saturday, winning by 185 points, 733-548, over runner-up Drury University.
It marks the second national team championship in any sport at Truman.
Seth Huston won the Division II Women's Swimming Coach of the Year award for the third consecutive year.
And for the second straight year, the Bulldogs have the Division II Women's Swimmer of the Year. This time it's freshman Diana Betsworth (East Moline, Ill./United Township), who collected five national championships this year, including three in individual events. Betsworth put her name on four NCAA Division II Championships records, joining junior teammate Liz Hug (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville), who accomplished the same feat this year. Hug also was part of five national championships this season, two in individual events and three on relay teams.
Last year, Jess Martin, now an assistant coach with the Bulldog swimmers, captured Division II Women's Swimmer of the Year honors.
Betsworth and Hug received All-America honors in seven events each at this year's championships.
The Bulldogs set seven NCAA Division II records en route to the victory at this year's meet. The team also gave its own record book a complete makeover, breaking or tying 17 Truman marks.
On Day 1, the 'Dogs smashed three Division II championship standards, including individual marks set by Betsworth and Hug. Betsworth knocked nearly four tenths of a second off of Martin's previous national standard in the 1,000-yard freestyle, winning with a time of 9:55.47. Truman occupied each of the top four spots in that event, with senior Bridget Riley (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) bringing home second, Hug third and sophomore Katie May (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central) fourth.
Hug added a victory in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in 2:02.98 to beat the nine-year-old Division II record. Junior Kelli Dudley (Topeka, Kan./Topeka West) was second, freshman Sarah Dance (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) was fifth and freshman Sarah Wells (Carrollton, Texas/Newman Smith) was seventh.
Freshman Christina Blose (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North), junior Sara Hatcher (Kingdom City, Mo./North Callaway), junior Meghan Osborn (Tipton, Iowa) and sophomoreKrista Pray (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) formed the 200-yard medley relay team that won in 1:44.22, knocking more than a second off another nine-year-old Division II mark.
That win capped off a very successful Day 1 that saw Truman break out to a 37-point lead thanks to its three victories.
On Day 2, the 'Dogs added two more D-II records as Hug teamed up with Dudley, freshman Michaela Osborn (Tipton, Iowa) and Hatcher in the 400-yard medley relay to finish in 3:48.85, more than a second faster than the previous championships mark, set by Air Force in 1996.
Betsworth captured first place in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:49.06. Her 1:48.75 time in the preliminary set a championships record.
Dudley also got second in the 400 IM, followed by Wells in third. Dance brought home fifth in the 100 butterfly.
On Day 3, Truman started with a 61-point advantage over Drury and added to its lead on the strength of Hug's national crown in the 500-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle relay team's win with a D-II record time of 7:23.60. That team included Hug, Riley, Betsworth and Dance.
Behind Hug in the 500 free, three other Bulldogs also made it into the top eight, including Riley, who was runner-up, Wells in fifth and May in eighth.
Dudley placed third in the 100-yard backstroke and led three Truman swimmers in the top six. Pray came in fifth and May was sixth. Michaela Osborn also got third in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Betsworth won the 1,650-yard freestyle to start Day 4, finishing in 16:43.51. She also teamed up with Hug, Hatcher and Dance in the 400-yard freestyle relay as the 'Dogs won in a D-II record time of 3:24.20.
Riley notched another runner-up showing in the 1,650 free. In the 100-yard freestyle, Betsworth took second in 50.83 seconds, and was followed by Dance in third and Hatcher in fifth. Dudley logged a third-place showing in the 200-yard backstroke.
ON THE MEN'S SIDE the Bulldogs finished in ninth place, tying for the second-best national finish in team history. Truman finished the 2002 meet with 174 points and was just one point out of eighth place.
Junior Matt Pray (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) posted two of the highest finishes for the Bulldogs as he charted third place in the 100-yard butterfly and fourth in the 200-yard butterfly. He joined sophomore Andy Harken (Liberty, Mo.) and sophomore Robby Cooper (Holden, Mo.) as All-Americas or honorable mention All-Americas in six events. Junior Drew Yemm (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) captured five All-America accolades.
The men's team broke 10 school marks at this year's championships and tied their 1999-2000 finish of ninth place.
2002 NCAA Division II Championships -- Truman Results
WOMEN'S RESULTS
50 Freestyle........Sara Hatcher, 2nd, 23.33
1000 Freestyle......Diana Betsworth, 1st, 9:55.47
Bridget Riley, 2nd, 10:04.68
Liz Hug, 3rd, 10:09.95
Katie May, 4th, 10:15.83
Amanda Shearer, 13th, 10:30.70
Ellen Frick, 18th, 10:33.95
Alison Blyth, 25th, 10:48.34
200 IM..............Liz Hug, 1st, 2:02.98
Kelli Dudley, 2nd, 2:03.47
Sarah Dance, 5th, 2:05.96
Sarah Wells, 7th, 2:06.84
200 Medley Relay....Blose, Hatcher, Meghan Osborn, Pray, 1st, 1:44.22
200 Free Relay......Betsworth, May, Thoma, Hatcher, 2nd, 1:34.17
400 IM..............Kelli Dudley, 2nd, 4:24.03
Sarah Wells, 3rd, 4:25.98
Gina Fettig, 14th, 4:36.28
100 Butterfly.......Sarah Dance, 5th, 57.04
Christina Blose, 15th, 58.73
200 Freestyle.......Diana Betsworth, 1st, 1:49.06
Liz Hug, 2nd, 1:50.66
Sarah Dance, 5th, 1:51.74
Bridget Riley, 6th, 1:52.22
400 Medley Relay....Dudley, Michaela Osborn, Hug, Hatcher, 1st, 3:48.85
500 Freestyle.......Liz Hug, 1st, 4:53.89
Bridget Riley, 2nd, 4:54.53
Sarah Wells, 5th, 5:00.42
Katie May, 8th, 5:03.67
Ellen Frick, 26th, 5:14.08
100 Backstroke......Kelli Dudley, 3rd, 56.92
Krista Pray, 5th, 57.79
Katie May, 6th, 57.92
100 Breaststroke....Michaela Osborn, 3rd, 1:03.98
Meghan Osborn, 30th, 1:09.32
200 Butterfly.......Alison Blyth, 6th, 2:06.30
Gina Fettig, 19th, 2:09.92
Amanda Shearer, 25th, 2:11.39
800 Freestyle Rel...Hug, Riley, Dance, Betsworth, 1st, 7:23.60
1650 Freestyle......Diana Betsworth, 1st, 16:43.51
Bridget Riley, 2nd, 16:52.11
Sarah Wells, 7th, 17:28.68
Amanda Shearer, 12th, 17:38.37
Ellen Frick, 15th, 17:49.67
100 Freestyle.......Diana Betsworth, 2nd, 50.83
Sarah Dance, 3rd, 51.31
Sara Hatcher, 5th, 51.68
Sue Ellen Thoma, 38th, 54.23
Christina Blose, 39th, 54.33
200 Backstroke......Kelli Dudley, 3rd, 2:02.42
Katie May, 8th, 2:06.51
Krista Pray, 13th, 2:08.20
200 Breaststroke....Michaela Osborn, 14th, 2:24.26
400 Freestyle Rel...Hug, Hatcher, Dance, Betsworth, 1st, 3:24.20
MEN'S RESULTS
50 Freestyle........Drew Yemm, 11th, 21.14
1000 Freestyle......Kyle Sterup, 12th, 9:32.32
Robby Cooper, 16th, 9:35.44
Andy Ladrow, 23rd, 9:47.77
Phil Brown, 26th, 9:50.27
200 IM..............Andy Harken, 15th, 1:55.99
400 IM..............Phil Brown, 18th, 4:10.61
200 Medley Relay....Teson, Harken, Pray, Yemm, 7th, 1:32.76
200 Freestyle Rel...Yemm, Pray, Harken, Struble, 7th, 1:23.99
100 Butterfly.......Matt Pray, 3rd, 48.96
Andy Harken, 18th, 51.32
Brian Teson, 23rd, 52.00
200 Freestyle.......Robby Cooper, 14th, 1:41.67
Kyle Sterup, 27th, 1:43.56
Phil Brown, 40th, 1:45.21
400 Medley Relay....Teson, Harken, Pray, Cooper, 7th, 3:25.48
500 Freestyle.......Robby Cooper, 12th, 4:34.91
Kyle Sterup, 18th, 4:37.48
100 Backstroke......Matt Pray, 21st, 52.84
Brian Teson, 22nd, 52.87
100 Breaststroke....Andy Harken, 9th, 57.43
Vince Struble, 27th, 58.95
200 Butterfly.......Matt Pray, 4th, 1:49.78
800 Free Relay......Sterup, Ladrow, Brown, Cooper, 10th, 6:54.69
1650 Freestyle......Kyle Sterup, 15th, 16:05.41
Andy Ladrow, 23rd, 16:34.72
100 Freestyle.......Drew Yemm, 16th, 46.61
Robby Cooper, 18th, 46.64
200 Breaststroke....Andy Harken, 16th, 2:06.74
400 Free Relay......Pray, Cooper, Struble, Yemm, 8th, 3:06.59