COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The LSU women’s swimming and diving team wrapped up its highest finish at the NCAA Championships since 2001 Saturday, securing 16th-place overall at the national meet in College Station, Texas.
The Lady Tigers sealed a spot in the top-16 with another stellar effort in relay competition as the foursome of Katherine Noland, Katie Gilmore, Jane Trepp and Monica McJunkin emerged victorious in the consolation final of the 400-yard freestyle relay with a program-record time of 3 minutes, 15.56 seconds to take ninth overall in the event.
Noland improved her own school-record time in the 100 freestyle with a lead-off split of 49.00 on that relay, and Trepp and McJunkin came up big on the final two legs with blistering splits of 48.66 and 48.65, respectively, to propel the Lady Tigers past the field.
Noland and Gilmore also raced in the 100 freestyle on the final day of action as Noland finished in 40th with a time of 49.44 and Gilmore took 50th with a mark of 49.81.
On the strength of three All-America relay teams, the squad tallied 57 points over the three-day span, including 46 in the final two days with a pair of top-10 finishes to earn its highest finish in head coach Adam Schmitt‘s tenure. In addition, the Lady Tigers’ 16th-place finish marks the second time in three years the LSU women have placed in the top-20 overall.
In one of the closest women’s meets in recent history, California held off Georgia for the team title. The Bears captured the 400 freestyle relay crown in the final event to surge to the top of the final standings.
The 17th-ranked LSU men will send six athletes to College Station to compete in the 2009 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, which begins March 26. Check back with www.LSUsports.net for updated notes and more information as the competition approaches.
2009 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships ? Final Standings
1. California 411.5
2. Georgia 400.5
3. Arizona 389
4. Stanford 312.5
5. Texas 307
6. Auburn 281.5
7. Florida 239.5
8. Texas A&M 186
9. Southern California 157
10. Indiana 152
11. Minnesota 136
12. Virginia 117
13. Tennessee 107
14. Wisconsin 105.5
15. Washington 61
16. LSU 57
17. Houston 47
18. Princeton 44
19. SMU 43
20. North Carolina 41
21. Purdue 40
22. Louisville 31
23. Oregon State 27
24. Miami 25
24. Ohio State 25
24. Michigan 25
27. Arkansas 23
28. Missouri 21
29. Hawaii 20
29. NC State 20
31. Notre Dame 19
32. IUPUI 15
33. Duke 14
34. Virginia Tech 13.5
35. UC Santa Barbara 13
36. Kansas 12
37. UNLV 11
38. Alabama 9
38. Penn State 9
38. Drexel 9
41. UCLA 8
42. Towson 6
43. Clemson 4
44. Kentucky 3
44. Maryland 3
46. George Mason 2
47. Utah 1.5
48. Nevada 1