Buoy Wins Three-Meter Title at Minnesota Invite

Minneapolis, Minn. - Nebraska set 15 season-best marks in the pool, and senior Amie Buoy won the three-meter diving title to put the Huskers in sixth place with 148 points after day one of the Minnesota Invitational.

 

Competing against a talented field, Buoy outperformed a duo of Minnesota divers with a score of 327.35 to capture the three-meter crown, while Nebraska senior Becky Johnson placed sixth to score valuable points for NU in the diving well. Buoy's 2005 title followed on the heels of her runner-up performance on the three-meter event at last year’s Minnesota Invite.

 

Nebraska also got off to a great start when junior Lauren Bailey took more than seven seconds off her season-best mark to place third in the 500-yard freestyle (4:49.61), and junior co-captain Kate Wheeler swam a career-best time of 4:50.51 to finish third, two seconds faster than her previous best set at the 2005 Big 12 Championships in February. Junior Casey Schnack placed fifth in the consolation final in a season-best time of 4:57.73 to place 13th overall.

 

“Today was a phenomenal day,” Head Assistant Coach Doug Humphrey said. “The 500-free swimmers did a great job at the beginning of the meet, especially Kate Wheeler, and the diving was fantastic as well with Amie (Buoy) winning the three meter.”

 

Sophomore Lynn Siemert won the consolation final of the 50-yard freestyle in 24.04 (season best), and junior Bailey Ingles was NU’s top finisher in the 200-yard IM with an 11th-place finish in a season-best performance of 2:06.60 to round out the individual swimming races.

 

Nebraska’s top relay of the day was the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Siemert, junior Michelle Criss, freshman Jenna Stroud and Wheeler, who swam a season-best time of 1:36.96. The 400-yard medley relay of Ingles, junior Rachel Schlatter, freshman Christina Yemm and Wheeler took nine seconds off its season-best mark to place 11th in 3:55.08.

 

“It is a very competitive and very fast meet,” Humphrey said. “Everyone has improved and with a lot more events tomorrow, we hope to improve even more.”

 

The Huskers will look to score major points in the 400-yard IM and 800-yard freestyle on Saturday to aim at a top-five spot in the team standings.

 

Preliminary events begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with finals to follow at 6 p.m.