AUSTIN, Texas — Four LSU athletes completed the second day of action at the 2002 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday at the Jamail-Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
LSU sits in 28th place after two days at the championships, while Auburn still leads the meet. Numerous records were broken on Friday, which was similar to Thursday’s meet.
All-American diver Jamie Watkins placed 10th in the preliminary round of the 3-meter diving competition on Friday with a score of 492.55. Watkins failed to make the finals as the top eight in the competition advanced to the finals. Junior Barb Gorst placed 15th in the prelims with a score of 471.95. Hpuston’s Yulia Pakhalina won the 3-meter with a score of 625.05.
Senior All-American Mandy Leach placed 11th in the consolation final of the 100-yard butterfly with a score of 53.97. California sophomore Natalie Coughlin set an NCAA record with a time of 50.01 in the event.. Arizona senior Sarah Tolar won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:44.66. Auburn’s Maggie Bowen won the 400-yard individual medley in a time of 4:04.69. Coughlin won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.97, and set an NCAA record as well.
Baton Rouge native and Parkview Baptist graduate Shelly Ripple of Stanford teamed with three others to win the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:37.79, a new American record.
The championships continues on Saturday, the final day, with six more events. Leach will compete in the ninth heat of the 100-yard freestyle and sophomore Stephanie Smith will swim in the third heat of the 1,650-yard freestyle. Other events include the 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard freestyle relay.