Sports Notebook: Swimming takes second at Nebraska
From Nov. 19-22, the swim team competed in the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Invitational. After four days of competition, Rice placed second to host Nebraska, who finished with 1,902 points to the Owls' 1,309. South Dakota State University placed third with 725.5, while the University of Nebraska-Omaha finished fourth with 568.5. Rice's performance is especially impressive considering the Owls do not compete in diving events, thus lowering the number of possible points for them to earn. Senior Angela Wo led Rice in the Invitational, winning the 100- yard butterfly with a season-best time of 56.10 seconds and the 100-yard backstroke in another season-best 57.87. Wo also swam on both of Rice's top-finishing relays, the 200-medley relay and the sprint medley. Wo's performance was strong enough to earn her Conference USA Swimmer of the Week.
Wo credited her strong performance to adequate preparation for the meet.
"I just came in wanting to win," Wo said. "I had been training really hard, so I brought a really confident attitude."
After the first day of competition in Lincoln, the Owls led the competition, thanks largely to the performance of sophomore Alex O'Brien and freshman Danielle Spence, who placed first and second, respectively, in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
Although Rice competed well again on Friday, the team fell to second place, outpaced by the host squad. Sophomore Shelby Bottoms won the 200-yard individual medley, and junior Erin Mattson claimed the 50- yard freestyle. Junior Kait Chura placed second after Bottoms in the 200-yard IM.
Junior Karen Gerken also placed second in the 500-yard freestyle. To finish the day, Wo, senior Pam Zelnick, Mattson and Bottoms swam the 400-meter medley relay, placing second just .41 seconds behind the Cornhuskers.
On the final day of competition, freshman Stephanie Wei and Chura went 1-2 in the 200- yard backstroke. Wei's 2:03.37 swim was just ahead of Chura's 2:04.75. The previous day, Chura won the 400-yard individual medley relay just ahead of Bottoms, who finished second. Throughout the competition the Owls compiled 83 new season-best times and won seven individual events and two relays.
Rice will face No. 8 Texas A&M University tomorrow in College Station, Texas. Last season, the Owls fell to the Aggies 169-92 in their opening meet of the season.
Wo says swimming against the Aggies will be a learning experience for the Owls.
"[Texas A&M] is where we want to be in a couple of years," Wo said. "We want to be ranked. [Swimming against the Aggies] gives us the opportunity to see the level we want to be at. It also gives us a chance to beat them, even if it is a small chance."
- Natalie Clericuzio
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