University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Men's Swimming Places Eighth at BIG EAST Championship
2/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
EAST MEADOW, NY (Feb. 21) - Freshman Jacquelyn Craft (Peterborough, ON) won her second event in as many days to highlight the University of Connecticut swimming and diving teams’ action in the final day of the BIG EAST Championship at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in East Meadow, N.Y. Overall, the UConn women placed sixth out of 12 competing schools as Notre Dame won the BIG EAST Championship for the eighth consecutive year while the UConn men finished eighth out of 12 teams as Pittsburgh cruised to its 19th title in 22 years.
In all, UConn won three events and set eight school records during the three-day conference showcase. UConn’s three individual champions are the school’s most since the Huskies captured four BIG EAST events in 1995. The eight school records includes a new high-water mark for the Huskies for every women’s relay event, five in all.
Craft obliterated both the field (by 2.58 seconds) her own school record (by 1.80 seconds) by swimming a 2:14.03 to win the 200 breaststroke. With that time, Craft also recorded UConn’s first NCAA automatic qualifying mark of the 2003-04 season. Coupled with Friday’s win in the 100 breaststroke, Craft becomes the first UConn swimmer to win two events in one BIG EAST Championship since Hillary Krug won both the 100 and 200 backstroke in 1995. She is the fifth woman to win both breaststroke events at one BIG EAST Championship, a feat last accomplished by Notre Dame’s Shannon Suddarth in 2000.
The UConn women completed their perfect run of five school records set in five relay events this weekend when the 400 freestyle relay team of Ryan Smith, Kydani Dover, Kate Jelus and Jenny Chang placed seventh in a time of 3:27.67. UConn had previously set school records this weekend in the 200 and 800 freestyle relays along with both the 200 and 400 medley relays.
Other UConn women who scored team points on Saturday were: Smith (5th in the 200 backstroke - 2:01.37), Chang (9th in the 100 freestyle - 51.56), Lindsay Hansen (9th in the 1650 freestyle - 16:59.92), Liz Campbell (11th in the 200 butterfly - 2:04.65), Bridget Regan (13th in the 200 butterfly - 2:05.77) and Cassie Novak (14th in the 200 backstroke - 2:03.90).
Scorers on the men’s side included Dustin Rogers (6th in the 100 freestyle - 45.00), Bill Monaghan (7th in the 200 butterfly - 1:51.41), David Cohen (11th in the 200 butterfly - 1:52.46) and Bobby Folan (13th in the 200 backstroke - 1:50.51). Additionally, the 400 freestyle relay team of Tristan Jones, Connor Murphy, Monaghan and Rogers placed fifth in 3:02.09 to set a seasonal best time.
Selected members of the UConn team will compete next month in the NCAA Diving Zones (March 12-14) and/or the NCAA Championships (March 25-27).
