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SAN ANTONIO - Nevada captured its second-straight Western Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday night at the Palo Alto College Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. The Wolf Pack finished the meet with 725.5 points followed by Northern Arizona with 605. Hawai?i was third with 574.5, while San Jose State placed fourth with 480.5. New Mexico State finished fifth with 460.5 followed by Idaho (305), Boise State (243) and San Diego (241).
Nevada sophomore Margaret Doolittle earned WAC Swimmer of the Year honors, after capturing the Freshman of the Year award in 2007. Northern Arizona senior Natalie Hughes was named the WAC Diver of the Year. The Wolf Pack’s head coach Mike Richmond, in his first year with Nevada, was named WAC Coach of the Year, while diving coaches Mike Brown of Hawai?i and Nikki Huffman of Northern Arizona shared Co-Diving Coach of the Year honors. Nevada’s Jeanette Tour was named the WAC Freshman of the Year giving the Wolf Pack the award for the third-straight year as Doolittle won in 2007 and Kim Kabesh won in 2006.
In the first race of the night, Hawai?i’s Emma Berry won her third individual gold medal, winning the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:59.44. She beat Northern Arizona’s Becky Triemstra (17:03.76) who was third in the event last year. New Mexico State sophomore Liz Thomson finished third with a time of 17:15.17.
Nevada’s Jeanette Tour won her second individual gold medal, winning the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 2:02.21. Ricarda Schellenberg of Hawai?i won the silver (2:02.67) and New Mexico State’s Bonnie Taylor took the bronze (2:03.60).
San Jose State senior Brie Marhenke captured her second gold medal of the meet, this time in the 100-yard freestyle with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 50.23. Northern Arizona’s Rachael Foe grabbed the silver medal (51.03), while Michaela Schmidt of Nevada took third (51.41).
Nevada sophomore Margaret Doolittle won her third individual event of the week with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 2:13.97 in the 200-yard breaststroke, defending her 200-yard breaststroke title in 2007. Doolittle won the 100-yard breaststroke on Friday, breaking the WAC championship meet record, and also won the 200-yard IM on Thursday. Summer Morgan-Halwas of Nevada was second, registering an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:17.90, while Northern Arizona’s Kim Kopra took third (2:19.29).
Nevada’s Kim Kabesh swept the butterfly events after winning 200-yard butterfly by nearly four seconds, registering an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 1:58.87. She beat Elliko Heimbach of Hawai?i (2:02.81) and Joy Miller of San Diego (2:03.71).
Stephanie De Lima of Hawai?i won the platform diving with an NCAA automatic qualifying score of 265.90. Nevada’s Chelsea Sawyer and Hawai?i’s Raquel Bartlow tied for second with an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 240.75 points.
San Jose State won the final event of the meet with a time of 3:27.03 in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Marhenke, Julia Koch, Lauren Mar and Tarolyn Robertson took home the gold for the Spartans. Hawai?i was second (3:27.83) followed by New Mexico State (3:28.00).
Individual Honors (as voted upon by the WAC coaches)
Swimmer of the Year - Margaret Doolittle, So., Nevada
Diver of the Year - Natalie Hughes, Sr., Northern Arizona
Freshman of the Year - Jeanette Tour, Nevada
Co-Diving Coach of the Year - Mike Brown, Nevada and Nikki Huffman, Northern Arizona
Coach of the Year - Mike Richmond, Nevada
2008 WAC Swimming and Diving Championship Preview
2008 WAC Swimming and Diving Championship Day 1 Review
2008 WAC Swimming and Diving Championship Day 2 Review
2008 Swimming and Diving Championship
February 20-23, 2008
Location:
Palo Alto College Natatorium
Palo Alto College
San Antonio, Texas
Schedule
Click here for the schedule
Live Results
Results will be posted following every heat on the WAC website by clicking here.
Streaming
Live video and audio from the finals of each night of the championship will be available. Click here for more information.
Tickets
All-Session Passes (includes all 10 sessions) are $30 for adults and $20 for children ages 18 and under.
Single-Session prices are as follows:
Wednesday Evening Relays: $5
Prelims: Adults $6, Children $4
Diving: $6, Children $4
Finals: Adults $7, Children $4
Parking
Fan parking is available at the Palo Alto College Natatorium free of charge.
Concessions
Concessions will be available and will be located outside the entrance to the pool.
Driving Directions
From Downtown, merge onto Interstate 35 South via the ramp on the left. Take the TX-422 Spur exit 148A on the left towards TX-16S/Poteet. Merge onto Poteet Jourdanton Fwy/TX-422 Spur South. Turn left onto West Villaret Blvd.
Hotels
San Antonio Convention and Vistors Bureau Website
Attractions
San Antonio Convention and Vistors Bureau Website
Map
Map of Palo Alto College (pool is located in southwestern portion)