Bailey Wins Back-to-Back Big 12 Titles

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>College Station, Texas ? Lauren Bailey became Nebraska’s first two-time 1,650 freestyle conference champion since 1995 as she defended her Big 12 title with a school record and NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 16:14.36 Saturday to lead Nebraska to a fifth-place finish with 350.5 points at the 2007 Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The senior's performance catapulted the Huskers over IowaState for the fifth spot after NU trailed the Cyclones, 221-218.5, heading into the final day of competition. With the career-best swim, the senior will be making her fourth straight trip to the NCAA Championships, which take place in Minneapolis, Minn., March 8-10.

 

“The team performance was fantastic today,” head coach Pablo Morales said. “We always like to be a team that finishes strong and show our strength and unity. That’s what allowed us to finish strong.”

 

It was the third-career Big 12 championship for Bailey, whose time of 16:14.36 was the second-fastest in the 11-year history of the Big 12 Championships. Her previous school record was a 16:16.06 at the 2006 NCAA Championships when she claimed NCAA Honorable Mention All-America honors with a ninth-place finish. Saturday, Bailey’s mark was more than nine seconds under the NCAA automatic-qualifying mark (16:23.54) and defeated the rest of the field by over 10 seconds as Missouri’s Jill Granger was runner-up in 16:24.69. Bailey took control of the race from Granger near the 1,000-yard mark, where her split of 9:50.78 broke the school record she last set against Missouri on Jan. 27 with a time of 9:51.48.

 

“The mile was incredible,” Morales said. “She had a really great 500 freestyle and 400 IM on Thursday and Friday and now she’s a conference champion again. I think she has a really great shot at earning All-America status again at nationals as she prepares the next 2 1/2 weeks.”

 

Freshman Mariah Hutchinson turned in Nebraska’s second-highest finish in the swimming events Saturday night, as she finished sixth in the 200 butterfly (2:03.42) in her first ever conference meet. Right behind Hutchinson was senior Bailey Ingles, who ended an impressive career with a seventh-place finish in a season-best time of 2:04.32. Sophomore Christina Yemm placed 11th in 2:06.64.

 

Freshman Kaitlin Arntz, who became just the second Husker to compete in the Big 12 finals of the 200 breaststroke since 2001, placed eighth in 2:19.82. Her preliminary-qualifying time of 2:18.87 was the second-fastest ever under head coach Pablo Morales.

 

“It was tremendous experience for our freshmen, especially in this evening’s super-charged environment with the team race battle going on,” Morales said. “For Kaitlin and Mariah to stand up as freshmen in a championship final and perform that well is great experience. It will really suit them well in the future.”

 

The Husker divers gave Nebraska a huge lift the entire four-day meet, and it continued Saturday night when senior Danielle Stansbury and sophomore Courtney Jolly placed fifth (208.05) and eighth (184.85) on the platform dive. Stansbury made the finals of all three diving events at the Big 12 Championships, while Jolly made a notable effort herself as she had not competed on the platform during her collegiate career before Saturday.

 

Seniors Kate Wheeler and Casey Schnack also scored for the Huskers in their last conference meets as the duo finished 13th (16:52.38) and 15th (17:01.11). Senior Emilee Crawford ended her career with a seventh-place finish (23rd overall, 2:07.47) in the 200 backstroke.

 

Nebraska wrapped up its fifth-place team finish when the 400 freestyle relay team of Stroud, Siemert, Hutchinson and senior Michelle Criss finished sixth in a season-best time of 3:28.41.

 

The 2006-07 Huskers finished the regular season with a 7-6 dual record. They continued a streak that has saw Nebraska win at least seven dual meets every season since 2003-04 leading up to Saturday night’s fifth-place Big 12 Championship finish.

 

The 2007 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships can be seen on a tape-delay basis on Fox Sports Net. It will be aired locally on Fox Sports Net Midwest onThursday, Feb. 22 (11 a.m. CST) and Saturday, Feb. 24 (11 a.m. CST). For more television information, please go to the next page.

 

Final Team Scores

1. Texas A&M-931

2. Texas-930

3. Kansas-448.5

4. Missouri-419

5. Nebraska-350.5

6. Iowa State-325

 

Saturday Finals Results

(Nebraska finishes)

 

Platform Dive

7. Danielle Stansbury, Nebraska, 184.05

8. Courtney Jolly, Nebraska,

 

200-yard Backstroke

(1-8 Finalists, 9-16 Consolation Finalists, 17-24 Bonus Finalists)

 

Bonus Finals

21. Kelsey Ida, Nebraska, 2:06.84*

23. Emilee Crawford, Nebraska, 2:07.47

 

100-yard Freestyle

(1-8 Finalists, 9-16 Consolation Finalists, 17-24 Bonus Finalists)

 

Consolation Finals

13. Lynn Siemert, Nebraska, 51.94

14. Jenna Stroud, Nebraska, 51.96

 

Bonus Finals

23. Michelle Criss, Nebraska, 52.43*

 

1,650-yard Freestyle

(1-8 Finalists)

1. Lauren Bailey, Nebraska, 16:14.36^

 

13. Kate Wheeler, Nebraska, 16:52.38

15. Casey Schnack, Nebraska, 17:01.11*

 

200-yard Breaststroke

(1-8 Finalists, 9-16 Consolation Finalists, 17-24 Bonus Finalists)

 

Finals

8. Kaitlin Arntz, Nebraska, 2:19.82

 

Consolation Finals

12. Hailey Dean, Nebraska, 2:22.34*

15. Adrienne Goodman, Nebraska, 2:24.19*

 

Bonus Finals

21. Colleen Criss, Nebraska, 2:25.35*

 

200-yard Butterfly

Finals

6. Mariah Hutchinson, Nebraska, 2:03.42

7. Bailey Ingles, Nebraska, 2:04.32

 

Consolation Finals

11. Christina Yemm, Nebraska, 2:06.64*

 

400-yard Freestyle Relay

5. Nebraska, 3:28.41*