Feb. 27, 2009
Complete Results
LONG BEACH, Calif. - For the second consecutive day, juniors Heidi Kucera and Scott Weltz won conference titles in record-setting fashion to help lead UC Davis during the third day of the Big West Swimming and Diving Championships at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool Friday night. Both Aggie teams continue to sit second entering tomorrow's final day.
The Aggie men have 554 total team points and sit just 11.5 points behind UC Santa Barbara, setting up a shootout for the team title tomorrow. The Gaucho women lead overall with 623 points while the Aggies are second with 505.
Overall on the night, the Aggies advanced 24 competitors to the finals of their respective events. That list of finalists included four in the women's 200 free; four in the men's 3-meter dive; three in the women's 100 breast; three in the men's 100 back; and three in the men's 400 IM. In addition, four more school records fell.
Weltz and Kucera captured their second conference titles in as many days with their respective record-breaking performances in the 400-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Weltz's time of 3:46.02 in the 400 IM set a new meet record by over two seconds and gave him his second NCAA B-cut time in the event. His time of 3:45.84 in the event in December continues to stand as the conference and school record. Weltz has now won a UC Davis-record five individual conference titles in his career with a chance to get a sixth tomorrow.
Kucera won her third career title and first in the 100 breast in 1:00.38, which set new meet, conference and school records. It is also the first one-minute time in program history. Her time was nearly three seconds faster than the previous Aggie record. She can also go a perfect 3-for-3 tomorrow when she competes in arguably her strongest event - the 200 breast.
The men's team boasted three second-place performances on the night. Sophomore B.J. Scoggan finished second behind Weltz in the 400 IM with an NCAA consideration mark of 3:51.53. Junior Daniel Donnelly was second in the 100 back in 48.92; and sophomore Paul Navo was second in the 3-meter dive at 306.35, which was nearly 41 points higher than his prelim score. Donnelly was also fourth in the 100 butterfly with in 48.01. His prelim mark of 47.96 is a new school record and makes him the first Aggie to go sub-48 in the event.
Senior Mary Struempf also made two championship finals, finishing fourth in 100 breast (1:03.79) and seventh in the 100 fly (55.44).
Top Aggie finishers in the other contest events included freshman Alex Daneke placing third in the 200 free in 1:37.13; freshman Keegan Groot placing fourth in the 100 breast in 56.39; sophomore Linda Hermann placing fifth in the 200 free (1:51.40); freshman Jenah Dawson finishing seventh in the 400 IM (4:30.32); and Rebecca Koch winning the consolation finals of the 100 back (57.44).
UC Davis was solid again in the relay events as well. The women's 200 free team of Amanda Holman, Emily Medved, Amber Bonds and Kayleigh Foley placed second in a school-record 1:33.29. The men were third in the event as Daneke teamed with Evan Kraus, Trent Richardson and Russ Underwood to go 1:21.38. The men tied a school mark with a prelim time of 1:21.02.
The championships conclude tomorrow with the crowning of team champions and the awarding of individual awards. Prelim swims will again begin at 10:30 a.m. with final swims beginning at 6 p.m. Diving prelims start at 2:00 p.m.
Big West Championships
Day 3 of 4
TEAM SCORES:
Men - 1. UC Santa Barbara, 565.5; 2. UC Davis, 554; 3. UC Irvine, 397.5; 4. Pacific, 310; 5. Cal Poly, 248; 6. Cal State Northridge, 160.
Women - UC Santa Barbara, 623; 2. UC Davis, 505; 3. Pacific, 379; 4. Cal Poly, 321; 5. UC Irvine, 272; 6. Cal State Northridge, 161.
INDIVIDUAL SCORES (Top finisher and UC Davis scorers only):
Women's 400 Individual Medley - 1. Melissa McGhee, Pacific, 4:18.37... 7. Jenah Dawson, 4:30.32 (4:28.65); 8. Jodi Hanson, 4:30.37 (4:30.00).
Men's 400 Individual Medley - 1. Scott Weltz, UC Davis, 3:46.02; 2. B.J. Scoggan, 3:51.53; 8. Reid Hartz, 3:58.98; 12. Arie Van Gemeren, 4:05.09 (4:03.25).
Women's 100 Butterfly - 1. Naomi Javanifard, UCSB, 54.37... 7. Mary Struempf, 55.44; 9. Amanda Holman, 55.64; Rebecca Koch, 58.05 (57.98).
Men's 100 Butterfly - 1. Randall Tom, UC Irvine, 45.73... 4. Daniel Donnelly, 48.01 (47.96); 10. Jimmy Fong, 50.68 (50.25); 12. Evan Kraus, 50.71 (50.16).
Women's 200 Freestyle - 1. Gloria Benefield, Cal Poly, 1:48.89... 5. Linda Hermann, 1:51.40 (1:51.29); 6. Kayleigh Foley, 1:51.59; 7. Amber Bonds, 1:52.04; 8. Katelyn Griffin, 1:52.07; 11. Tyler Ring, 1:52.90; 13. Buffy Ajimura, 1:53.57.
Men's 200 Freestyle - 1. Joe Wood, UCSB, 1:36.87... 3. Alex Daneke, 1:37.13; 7. Trent Richardson, 1:39.73 (1:38.73); 13. Russ Underwood, 1:40.26 (1:39.51).
Women's 100 Breaststroke - 1. Heidi Kucera, UC Davis, 1:00.38; 4. Mary Struempf, 1:03.79 (1:03.75); 6. Lisa Bender, 1:04.32 (1:04.03); 10. Alyssa Britt, 1:05.61.
Men's 100 Breaststroke - 1. Chris Rosales, UC Irvine, 54.76... 4. Keegan Groot, 56.39 (56.04); 8. Kyle Anderson, 57.16 (56.87); 11. Arie Van Gemeren, 58.40.
Women's 100 Backstroke - 1. Naomi Javanifard, UCSB, 54.53... 9. Rebecca Koch, 57.44.
Men's 100 Backstroke - 1. Kevin Ferguson, UCSB, 48.61; 2. Daniel Donnelly, 48.92; 4. Jordan Lager, 49.46 (48.89); 6. Jimmy Fong, 51.06 (50.61).
Women's 200 Freestyle Relay - 1. UCSB (Naomi Javanifard, Nadia Dwidar, Courtney Bauer, Anne Marie May), 1:30.52; 2. UC Davis (Amanda Holman, Emily Medved, Amber Bonds, Kayleigh Foley), 1:33.29.
Men's 200 Freestyle Relay - 1. UCSB (Kevin Kuhn, Scott Vogelsang, Bradley Matsumoto, Jeff Sudbury), 1:18.41... 3. UC Davis (Evan Kraus, Alex Daneke, Trent Richardson, Russ Underwood), 1:21.33 (1:21.02).
Men's 3-Meter Diving - 1. Miles Smith, UC Irvine, 318.15; 2. Paul Navo, 306.35, 4. Jason Andrade, 256.15; 5. William LaBarge, 234.45; 6. Michael Androus, 230.85; 9. Mark Alger, (193.15); 10. Tristan Kaiser (159.15).
