Session 7: Huskers Finish Sixth at 2008 Big 12 Championships

Austin, Texas? The Huskers turned in championship level performances Saturday night in Austin, Texas, as four swimmers and divers participated in finals to round out Nebraska’s season with a sixth-place finish at the 2008 Big 12 Championships.

 

Ending the dual slate with a 7-2 dual record, the closing session of the conference meet was evidence that the Husker swimming and diving program is on the rise. Two sophomores, one junior and a freshman were competing in finals events, while a pair of underclassmen set NCAA provisional-qualifying marks to give Nebraska plenty of optimism for the future.

 

The Huskers accounted for 343 points over the four-day meet, but didn’t start most its scoring until the final half of the session Saturday night, as it had at least one finalist in each of the last three events before the concluding 400 freestyle relay.

 

Sophomore Mariah Hutchinson was the brightest spot for Nebraska, as she not only finished sixth in the 200 butterfly for the second consecutive year, but also lowered her NCAA provisional-qualifying time to 2:02.39, over one-tenth faster than her preliminary mark of 2:02.51. She was the second Husker to set an NCAA B-cut at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, joining sophomore Hailey Dean in the 100 breaststroke.

 

Before Hutchinson’s swim, Kelsey Grushecky provided the Huskers with one of its best freshmen performances in recent years, as she also met the NCAA provisional cut of 2:02.55 by winning the consolation final (9th overall) in 2:02.43.

 

The collection of youth to make a presence on the conference championship level also consists of sophomore Kaitlin Arntz. On Saturday night, the Omaha, Neb., native matched her 2007 eighth-place finish to earn another medal in the 200 breaststroke (2:20.81).

 

The Huskers may have been most surprised on the platform dive, where junior Courtney Jolly took the bronze medal with a third-place finish (224.25) ahead of an impressive outing from freshman Mariesa Cloud in fifth (216.80). The burst pulled Nebraska within six points of IowaState in the team standings heading into the final relay event. The Huskers defeated the Cyclones with an exciting fourth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

 

Nebraska got on the board during Session 7 when freshman Brandie Kavalec and Blaine Hoppenrath each set season-best times in the 1,650 freestyle to finish 12th (17:09.77) and 16th (17:26.76).

 

Just an hour later, Kavalec was in the pool again, teaming up with junior Christina Yemm to score five points in the 200 backstroke. Kavalec finished 14th (2:06.17), while Yemm was 15th (2:06.44). Aside from this season, Yemm had not competed in the 200 backstroke since Oct. 22, 2005. It was her first-career appearance in the event at the conference meet, although she did come in with a season-best time of 2:06.66 that occurred in the same pool at the Texas Invitational in December.

 

Two seniors completed their final races as Huskers on Saturday night. Lynn Siemert clinched her fourth consecutive top-15 finish in the 100 freestyle, as she reset her career-best time to place 14th (51.44) and round out a fine career at Nebraska. Adrienne Goodman went out in similar fashion, swimming a season-best time in the 200 breaststroke to place 14th (2:22.35), also her fourth straight top-15 finish in the event.

 

Goodman was one of three Huskers in the consolation finals, as sophomores Hailey Dean (15th, 2:23.33) and Colleen Criss (16th, 2:24.65) also scored to help Nebraska gain 17 points in the 200 breaststroke. The Huskers even more successful in the 200 butterfly, scoring 26 points as Hoppenrath finished 13th (2:05.34) in addition to the top-10 finishes from Hutchinson and Grushecky.

 

The Huskers ended the 2008 Big 12 Championships in fitting fashion, as it set its fifth relay season best in as many tries this week. The team of Hutchinson, junior Jenny Toler, freshman Jess Andrews and Siemert placed fourth in 3:25.0 to finish ahead of Missouri and IowaState.

 

Nebraska was 7-2 during the regular season and loses only two seniors from the 2007-08 squad. The Huskers will look forward to the return of three sophomore swimmers and a pair of divers who qualified for finals events at the 2008 Big 12 Championships.

 

With NCAA provisional-qualifying marks, Hutchinson and Dean will await the official NCAA Championship announcement, which will be released following all conference championship meets. Jolly and Cloud are also looking to prolong their season at the NCAA Zone Diving Championship in two weeks.

 

Saturday Finals Results

200 Backstroke

Consolation Finals

14. Brandie Kavalec, Nebraska, 2:06.17

15. Christina Yemm, Nebraska, 2:06.44 (career best)

 

Bonus Finals

21. Rachell McClain, Nebraska, 2:11.34

 

100 Freestyle

Consolation Finals

14. Lynn Siemert, Nebraska, 51.44 (career best)

 

Bonus Finals

20. Jenny Toler, Nebraska, 51.91 (career best)

24. Jess Andrews, Nebraska, 52.77

 

1,650 Freestyle

12. Brandie Kavalec, Nebraska, 17:09.77 (season best)

16. Blaine Hoppenrath, Nebraska, 17:26.76 (season best)

 

200 Breaststroke

Finals

8. Kaitlin Arntz, Nebraska, 2:20.81

 

Consolation Finals

14. Adrienne Goodman, Nebraska, 2:22.35

15. Hailey Dean, Nebraska, 2:23.33

16. Colleen Criss, Nebraska, 2:24.65

 

200 Butterfly

Finals

6. Mariah Hutchinson, Nebraska, 2:02.39 (career best) (NCAA provisional-qualifying time)

 

Consolation Finals

9. Kelsey Grushecky, Nebraska, 2:02.43 (season best) (NCAA provisional-qualifying time)

13. Blaine Hoppenrath, Nebraska, 2:05.34

 

Platform Diving

3. Courtney Jolly, Nebraska, 224.25

5. Mariesa Cloud, Nebraska, 216.80

 

400 Freestyle Relay

4. Nebraska, 3:25.04 (season best)

 

Final Team Scores

1. Texas A&M (967)

2. Texas (748)

3. Missouri (519.5)

4. Kansas  (505.5)

5. IowaState (347)

6. Nebraska (343)