AUSTIN, Texas — LSU swimmer Jane Trepp earned two more first-team All-America honors Friday at the 2011 NCAA Women’s Championships, while sophomore Amanda Kendall also claimed first-team accolades to lead the Lady Tigers on Day 2 in the University of Texas’ Jamail Swimming Center.
Kendall and Trepp each represented the Lady Tigers in the 100-yard butterfly final as the duo tied for seventh with a time of 52.50 seconds. They are the first two swimmers in program history to reach the NCAA championship final in that event.
Trepp also advanced to the championship final of the 100 breaststroke, pulling off an impressive double on Day 2. The senior returned to the competition pool just 15 minutes after the final in the 100 fly and registered eighth in the 100 breaststroke (59.67).
The Tallinn, Estonia, native is the first swimmer in program annals to post top-eight finishes and capture first-team All-America honors in all three of her individual races in a single season. At the end of the night, Trepp also became just the fifth athlete in program history to reach double-digit career All-America honors as she is now a 10-time All-American.
Kendall’s first-team honor was the first of her young career.
The Lady Tigers also placed a relay in the top-10 for the second straight day as the 200 medley foursome of Jana Ruimerman, Trepp, Kendall and Samantha Goates delivered 10th and honorable mention All-America honors with a time of 1:38.30.
LSU tallied 48 more points on the evening to bring its two-day total to 80. The Lady Tigers will enter the final session Saturday 13th in the overall standings.
“For Jane to walk away with three individual first-team All-America honors this year and pull off that challenging double today like she did at SEC’s is just an outstanding feat,” co-head coach David Geyer said. “Amanda did an awesome job squeaking out a top-eight finish to move into her first career championship final. She never let the pressure get to her.
“Our 200 medley relay also did a fine job. They just went out there and really raced. I’m very proud of our ladies, and I think we’ll finish strong tomorrow.”
In the morning prelims, freshman Torrey Bussey swam a mark of 1:01.38 in the 100 breast, just seven one-hundredths of a second off her personal best, to take 28th. Senior Kannon Betzen was 46th in that event (1:02.66).
Freshman Cari Blalock came in 31st in the 400 IM with a 4:15.62 clocking, while sophomore Sara Haley notched 49th in the 100 fly (54.29). Fellow sophomore Jana Ruimerman finished 49th in the 100 back (55.13).
The Lady Tigers will look to finish strong Saturday. The prelims begin at 11 a.m. (CDT), while the finals will start at 7 p.m. The final session will be live streamed by www.ESPN3.com, and live results are available at http://www.star-meets.org/results/NCAA/2011%20Women/index.htm.
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NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships
Austin, Texas – Jamail Swimming Center
March 17-19
Order of Events
Saturday, March 19
Prelims – 11 a.m.
200 backstroke (Ruimerman)
100 freestyle (Kendall, Goates)
200 breaststroke (Bussey)
200 butterfly (Haley, Blalock)
400 freestyle relay (LSU)
Platform Diving (1:30 p.m.)
1650 freestyle early heats (4:30 p.m.)
Finals – 7 p.m. (ESPN3.com)
1650 freestyle
200 backstroke
100 freestyle
200 breaststroke
200 butterfly
Platform Diving
400 freestyle relay