Session 5: Arntz Finishes Fourth in 100 Breaststroke

College Station, Texas - Kaitlin Arntz earned her second top-six finish in two days at the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday evening. Arntz finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke, her best-ever finish at the conference meet. The Huskers had eight other scorers on the day and increased their point total to 159 heading into the final day of competition.

Three meter diving was completed before the swimming events started, and NU's Kaitlan Walker finished 16th with score of 236.55. Texas A&M's Jaele Patrick took home her second diving title of the meet with a score of 358.30.

The swimming portion of the session started with the 400-yard medley relay, and the Husker relay team of Ellan Dufour, Kaitlin Arntz, Kelsey Grushecky and Mariah Hutchinson had a season-best time of 3:43.10 and finished sixth. Texas set a meet record with a time of 3:33.12 on their way to event victory.

NU's Brandie Kavalec finished fifth in the "B" Finals of the 400-yard IM with a career-best time of 4:27.68 to give the Huskers their first individual scoring performance of the day. Both Bobbi Balogh and Riley Seidel also put in career-best performances in the "C" Finals for Nebraska.

The Huskers had two swimmers in the "B" Finals of the 100-yard butterfly in Kelsey Grushecky and Mariah Hutchinson. Grushecky swam a time of 55.64, earning fifth place in the heat, while Hutchinson took seventh with a time of 56.11. Caroline Shea finished 16th in the next event, the 200-yard freestyle, for Nebraska with a time of 1:52.97.

Arntz earned her eighth career top-10 finish at the conference meet when she came in fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:01.38. Hailey Dean and Kelsey Larson also scored for the Huskers in the "B" Finals, with Dean coming in 12th with a time of 1:03.87 and Larson finishing 14th with a time of 1:05.14.

Ellan Dufour and Hayley Martin were the final scorers for Nebraska on the day, finishing 13th and 16th, respectively, in the 100-yard backstroke.

The Huskers are still in sixth after five sessions and 14 events with 159 points. Texas A&M continues to lead the meet with 662 points.

The Big 12 Championships conlclude on Saturday with a morning prelim (10 a.m.) and evening finals (6 p.m.) session.

(for complete results, click here or on the link above)

Results
400 Medley Relay
1. Texas - 3:33.12
6. Nebraska - 3:43.10

400 IM
1. Leah Gingrich (Texas) - 4:09.98
13. Brandie Kavalec - 4:27.68*

100 Butterfly
1. Kathleen Hersey (Texas) - 52.08
13. Kelsey Grushecky - 55.64
15. Mariah Hutchinson - 56.11

200 Freestyle
1. Karlee Bispo (Texas) - 1:44.99
16. Caroline Shea - 1:52.97

100 Breaststroke
1. Alia Atkinson (Texas A&M) - 59.80
4. Kaitlin Arntz - 1:01.38
12. Hailey Dean - 1:04.65
14. Kelsey Larson - 1:05.14

100 Backstroke
1. Julia Wilkinson (Texas A&M) - 52.77
13. Ellan Dufour - 56.16
16. Hayley Martin - 57.43

#season-best time
*career-best time

Standings (after 14 events)
1. Texas A&M - 662
2. Texas - 618
3. Missouri - 330
4. Kansas - 285
5. Iowa State - 230
6. Nebraska - 153

Saturday's Schedule of Events
Prelims (10 a.m.)
200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
Platform Diving (2:30 p.m.)

Finals (6 p.m.)
200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle
1650 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
400 Freestyle Relay