Feb. 17, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Purdue women's swim team finished in seventh place tonight at the Big Ten Women's Championships with 275 total points. The Boilermakers improved upon their finish last year by two places and increase their points total by 69 points.
"I am just thrilled for this team," said Purdue head coach Cathy Wright-Eger. "This has been a really sweet journey the whole season. The women set these goals that we've been talking about back in August and they have worked hard every single day to accomplish them. I am very, very proud!"
The Boilermakers had an incredible day at the pool, with every participant in today's final program garnering lifetime bests in either the morning's prelims or the evening's finals. The Boilermakers also tallied 10 NCAA `B cut' consideration times and two NCAA `A cut' automatic bid times for the NCAA meet in Long Island, N.Y. in March.
Finishing with a lifetime best, a varsity record and a `B cut' in her final Big Ten meet as a Boilermaker, senior Gyongyver Lakos finished the 100 freestyle in 50.15 for fourth place. The varsity record was also previously held by Lakos who recorded a time of 50.27 in a dual meet against Penn State in November of 2000. Lakos also was Purdue's highest individual points finisher. Lakos also finished the 200 free with a time of 1:49.32 on Friday for another NCAA `B cut'.
Qualifying for the 100 free consolation round at the morning session, sophomore Kim Paradiese finished with a lifetime best in the evening session with ninth place and a time of 51.04. Paradiese's best time this season previously had been 51.78. She also finished the 200 free on Friday with a time of 1:49.89 and another NCAA `B cut' for the Boilermakers.
In the 200 breaststroke, Purdue muscled through and placed senior Brianna Reina in the evening's finals competition with a lifetime best time of 2:17.73. Reina qualified for the finals round the first time in her career. She finished the evening's race with a time of 2:22.02 and eighth place. Reina also garnered an NCAA `B cut' consideration with her morning finish.
Also in the 200 breaststroke for Purdue was sophomore Lindsay Lange, competing in the consolation race. Lange also produced a lifetime best in the morning's session for her qualifying time of 2:19.68. She finished 16th in the evening session with a time of 2:21.81. Lange's previous season-best time was a finish of 2:29.00. Lange qualified with an automatic bid for the NCAA's with a 100 breast time of 1:02.06 on Friday.
In the 200 butterfly, the Old Gold and Black qualified both Patricia Finnerty and Autumn Sample for the consolation race. Finnerty finished with a lifetime best and an NCAA `B cut' consideration with her ninth-place finish in 2:01.61. Her previous season-best time in the 200 fly was 2:04.66. Finnerty also qualified with a `B cut' consideration time for the NCAA's in the 100 fly with a time of 54.84 on Friday.
Sample, a freshman, also recorded a lifetime best swim in the 200 fly with a time of 2:02.50 and an 11th-place finish. Sample's time also qualifies for a `B cut' consideration to the NCAA meet. Her previous season-best time in the 200 fly was 2:05.74.
In the 1650 freestyle, Kelly Mackus finished with another Boilermaker lifetime best in 17:04.68. She finished in 18th place. Her previous season-best time was a 17:19.35.
In the final relay event of the weekend, Purdue finished fourth in the 400 free relay with the team of Lisa Dolansky, Paradeise, Missy Bromley and Lakos. With a time of 3:22.48, they finished with a varsity record by more than two seconds and an NCAA `B cut' consideration time.
Dolansky was the Boilermakers' second NCAA automatic bid for the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.87 and broken varsity records three times in two days.
The Boilermakers' final two NCAA `B cut' consideration times come in the 200 and 400 medley relays. On the 200 relay, team members are Dolansky, Lange, Bromley and Lakos. On the 400 relay, team members are Dolansky, Lange, Finnerty and Lakos.
The Boilermakers will return to the pool on campus next week for continued practice for the NCAA meet. The NCAA meet is in Long Island, N.Y. on March 15-17.
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