Stansbury and Bailey Place Fourth in Thursday Night Finals

College Station, Texas ? Seniors Danielle Stansbury and Lauren Bailey came up big Thursday night as each placed fourth in the finals of Session 3 at the Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas.

 

Stansbury, a former walk-on, qualified for the finals of the three-meter dive with a seventh-place preliminary finish, but advanced three spots in the finals to place fourth with a score of 287.50.

 

“Danielle did great,” diving coach Natasha Chikina said. “She was awesome. I am very proud of her.”

 

The senior’s performance helped the Huskers take fourth place in the team race with 114 points heading into the final relay of the night. Her finish was a career high at the Big 12 Championships and she narrowly missed setting a career-high score as had a 289.73 against Missouri on Jan. 27.

 

“I would say it was her best performance of the year,” Chikina said. “The last couple dual meets she was very consistent and she prepared very well for this meet. She just needs to be consistent and do well every dive and she did that.”

 

Senior Lauren Bailey gave the Huskers another fourth-place performance in the 500 freestyle with a season-best time of 4:47.16. It marked the fourth straight year that she has placed in the top four in the 500 at the Big 12 Championships. The past two years, Bailey was runner-up after she was third as a freshman.

 

Senior Kate Wheeler also scored in the 500 freestyle for the fourth consecutive year as she placed 12th overall (fourth in the consolation finals) with her second NCAA provisional-qualifying time of the season in 4:53.65.

 

Wheeler was one of two Huskers to place fourth in consolation finals Thursday night as sophomore Christina Yemm also did so in the 200 individual medley. Yemm completed the race in a season-best time of 2:06.46, and was three spots ahead of senior teammate Bailey Ingles, who finished 15th overall in 2:06.92.

 

Three more Huskers scored points in consolation finals as junior Lynn Siemert moved up two spots from her preliminary-qualifying position in the 50 freestyle to place 13th overall in 24.02. Sophomore Jenna Stroud and senior Michelle Criss were just back of Siemert as the duo placed 15th (24.12) and 16th (24.33).

 

All three Huskers participating in the bonus finals of the 200 individual medley set season bests, including freshmen Kaitlin Arntz and Hailey Dean, who each broke their previous bests from the regular season by over four seconds. Arntz placed second (18th overall) in 2:05.97 and Dean was third (19th overall) in 2:06.37. Junior Adrienne Goodman finished fourth (22nd overall) with a season-best time as well of 2:08.77.

 

Nebraska was disqualified in the 400 medley relay.

 

The Huskers now sit in sixth place with 114 points after Day Two. Friday’s action will begin with preliminary heats at 10 a.m., followed by finals at 6 p.m.

 

Team Standings After Day Two:

1. Texas A&M-316

2. Texas-288

3. Kansas-180

4. Iowa State-135

5. Missouri-131

6. Nebraska-114

 

Thursday Finals Results

(Nebraska finishes)

 

500-yard Freestyle

(1-8 Finalists, 9-16 Consolation Finalists, 17-24 Bonus Finalists)

 

Finals

4. Lauren Bailey, Nebraska, 4:47.16*

 

Consolation Finals

12. Kate Wheeler, Nebraska, 4:53.65

 

Bonus Finals

21. Mariah Hutchinson, Nebraska, 4:57.96*

23. Casey Schnack, Nebraska, 4:59.75

 

200-yard IM

(1-8 Finalists, 9-16 Consolation Finalists, 17-24 Bonus Finalists)

 

Consolation Finals

12. Christina Yemm, Nebraska, 2:06.46*

15. Bailey Ingles, Nebraska, 2:06.92

 

Bonus Finals

18. Kaitlin Arntz, Nebraska, 2:05.97*

19. Hailey Dean, Nebraska, 2:06.37*

22. Adrienne Goodman, Nebraska, 2:08.77*

 

50-yard Freestyle

(1-8 Finalists, 9-16 Consolation Finalists, 17-24 Bonus Finalists)

 

Consolation Finals

13. Lynn Siemert, Nebraska, 24.02

15. Jenna Stroud, Nebraska, 24.12

16. Michelle Criss, Nebraska, 24.33

 

One-Meter Dive

(1-8 Finalists)

4. Danielle Stansbury, Nebraska, 287.50

 

400-yard Medley Relay

DQ. Nebraska, --

 

* Season Best