Dec. 18, 2000

Men and Women Swim Teams Bring Home Wins at the UNO Invitational

The Truman men's and women's swimming teams travelled to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for their last competition before they head off to Florida on their annual training trim. Both teams saw great success by not only winning the meet, but adding to their national championship squads.

THE MEN

The men took first-place out of four teams and got their first NCAA A-cut. Matt Pray won the 100 butterfly in a time of 50.70, swimming under the automatic cut. The 'Dogs have plenty of opportunities left to achieve their cuts, with Robby Cooper, Andy Harken, Kyle Sterup and Brian Teson already achieving B-cuts this season.

At UNO, Harken achieved his first B-cut in the 200 breaststroke in a winning time of 2:10.47. Pray added to his 100 butterfly with a win and a B-cut in the 200 butterfly in a time of 1:55.08. Pray also led off the 400 medley relay with a time of 53.32, achieving the NCAA B standard. Following Pray's win in the 100 butterfly was Teson with a time 52.35, under the B-cut.

Other individual winners include Harken in the 200 individual medley (1:59.36) and Pray in the 100 backstroke (54.30).

The men won the 200 medley relay fielding the quartet of junior Pat Owens (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville), Harken, Pray, and sophomore Drew Yemm (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) in a time of 1:37.32. The Bulldogs also won the 800 freestyle relay in a time of 7:07.05. That relay consisted of Pray, Robby Cooper, Sterup and junior Eric McCullough (Lenexa, Kan./Shawnee Mission East). The team of Pray, Harken, Teson, and McCullough won the 400 medley relay in a time of 3:32.67. All of these relays have a good shot at making the national qualifying times.

THE WOMEN

The Truman women won the invitational of six teams and also added to their list of swimmers with NCAA A-cuts. Bridget Riley, the defending national champion in the the 500 freestyle, achieved her A-cut (5:06.82), and taking second was Jess Martin who improved on her season best in 5:00.23.

Liz Hug swam under the A-cut in the 100 butterfly, taking the win in a time of 58.99. Kelli Dudley achieved a new A-cut in the 400 IM, winning in 4:34.38.

Dudley, the defending national champion, who previously had the A-cut in the 200 backstroke, bettered her time with a first-place finish in 2:05.70. Teammates Andrea Newton and Hug also picked up A-cuts in their 1-2-3 finish in times of 2:07.85 and 2:08.00, respectively.

Christie Williamsen picked up her first individual A-cut in the 200 breaststroke with a new team record and winning time of 2:25.46. The team of Hug, Katie May, Martin and Bryna Busch achieved the A-cut in the 400 freestyle relay in a time of 3:33.98.

There were several swimmers who got new B-cuts as well. Amanda Shearer took fourth place in the 500 freestyle in a time of 5:11.61 to improve on her previous mark. Krista Pray, in a time of 2:14.54, placed fourth and achieved a new B-cut in the 200 IM.

The women performed extremely well in the 100 butterfly in Omaha. Behind Hug's new A-cut, and Martin's season best 1:00.13, four girls achieved new B-cuts. Pray, Dudley, May, and Allison Blyth went 3-4-6-7 in consideration times of 1:00.43, 1:00.47, 1:00.65, and 1:00.71, respectively. Williamsen and Hug in a 2-3 finish swam under the consideration cut in the 100 breaststroke with times of 1:08.15 and 1:08.50, respectively.

Behind May and Pray's season best times of 59.98 and 1:00.07, Newton swam the 100 backstroke in a fourth place time of 1:00.44. In the 400 IM, Shearer finished second in a consideration time of 4:39.05.

Florida State is the next stop for the men and women, as they travel to the Sunshine State for a Christmas Training Trip. The Seminoles will provide stiff competition for the 'Dogs on January 6, 2001. The Truman State Swimming Squads will return home to face Missouri and Northern Iowa in a tri-meet on January 13, 2001. Come out and support your Truman State Bulldog Swimming Teams.

2000-01 Schedule & Results | Men's Swimming | Women's Swimming | Truman Athletics