Spring Break
Georgia women finish second at NCAAs
Issue date: 3/20/09 Section: Sports
COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- The winner of the 2009 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships wasn't determined until the championship's final event, but the Georgia Lady Bulldogs came up short of their fifth school championship as they finished in second place at the national meet, held at the Student Recreational Center Natatorium at Texas A&M Saturday night.
Instead, Georgia earned its fifth runner-up finish in program history, ending the three-day meet with 400.5 points. The California Bears finished with 411.5 points, earning its first program title. Arizona was third with 389, Stanford was fourth with 312.5 and Texas was fifth with 307.
"I couldn't be more proud of our kids," head coach Jack Bauerle said. "This was one of the closest national meets ever and we are glad to be a part of it. We had some exceptional performances from Chelsea Nauta, Morgan Scroggy, Wendy Trott and Michelle McKeehan, and a really nice feeling is that our hot shots are young guns. The experience we have at this meet will service us well for the next couple years.
"It is exciting to get a few championships, Allison Schmitt in the 500 and Wendy in the 1,650," Bauerle said. "And it was great to see that 200 medley relay victory; that was a great effort and was an unexpected surprise and one of those kids was a walk on with an academic scholarship, Lisa Caprioglio, who did a great job at this meet."
Cal held a slim one point lead, 371.5-370.5 heading into the 400 freestyle relay, the final event. However, Cal won the event in NCAA record time, while Georgia came in fourth place to seal its second place finish at the championships. The 400 freestyle relay team of Schmitt, Nauta, Kelly McNichols and Scroggy did finish with a school record time 3:12.33 in the event. It was Scroggy's seventh finish in the top eight at the championship meet.
Likely the most significant race that helped Georgia keep it close was the 1,650 freestyle. Trott claimed Georgia's third national championship of the meet with a school-record time of 15:45.49 to earn the win. Nauta, who swam in the fourth preliminary heat of the morning, checked in fifth overall with a time of 15:55.37. Kelsey Ditto finished 17th overall with a time of 16:09.29
Instead, Georgia earned its fifth runner-up finish in program history, ending the three-day meet with 400.5 points. The California Bears finished with 411.5 points, earning its first program title. Arizona was third with 389, Stanford was fourth with 312.5 and Texas was fifth with 307.
"I couldn't be more proud of our kids," head coach Jack Bauerle said. "This was one of the closest national meets ever and we are glad to be a part of it. We had some exceptional performances from Chelsea Nauta, Morgan Scroggy, Wendy Trott and Michelle McKeehan, and a really nice feeling is that our hot shots are young guns. The experience we have at this meet will service us well for the next couple years.
"It is exciting to get a few championships, Allison Schmitt in the 500 and Wendy in the 1,650," Bauerle said. "And it was great to see that 200 medley relay victory; that was a great effort and was an unexpected surprise and one of those kids was a walk on with an academic scholarship, Lisa Caprioglio, who did a great job at this meet."
Cal held a slim one point lead, 371.5-370.5 heading into the 400 freestyle relay, the final event. However, Cal won the event in NCAA record time, while Georgia came in fourth place to seal its second place finish at the championships. The 400 freestyle relay team of Schmitt, Nauta, Kelly McNichols and Scroggy did finish with a school record time 3:12.33 in the event. It was Scroggy's seventh finish in the top eight at the championship meet.
Likely the most significant race that helped Georgia keep it close was the 1,650 freestyle. Trott claimed Georgia's third national championship of the meet with a school-record time of 15:45.49 to earn the win. Nauta, who swam in the fourth preliminary heat of the morning, checked in fifth overall with a time of 15:55.37. Kelsey Ditto finished 17th overall with a time of 16:09.29
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