Jan. 22, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State University swimming and diving teams took on California Saturday afternoon in the last home dual meet of the season at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. The men fell to the Golden Bears 149-125 while the women were defeated 176-118. Junior diver Joona Puhakka set another school-record, his second in as many days, in the 3-meter diving event beating his previous record set against USC earlier this season.
The women hit the water first against the Golden Bear women, with the 200 medley relay team of Florencia Szigeti, Ágnes Kovács, Caitlin Andrew and Laura Ullrich starting the day at strong with a season-best and NCAA consideration swim of 1:42.82 to take first-place. Up next was the 1000 freestyle event, where junior Kathryn Hennessy (10:03.66) and freshman Sarah A Fischer (10:06.20) took second and third, respectively.
Andrew led the Sun Devils to a victory in the 100 backstroke with an NCAA consideration time of 54.91. Senior All-American Kovács took to the water in the 100 breaststroke and took her first individual victory of the day, swimming an NCAA consideration time of 1:02.08.
In the 200 butterfly, Ellis Schieman swan into second-place with a time of 2:03.52. In the 50 freestyle Szigeti and Erin Baldinger finished 2,3 with Szigeti touching the wall in 23.88 and Baldinger in 24.07. Following a short break, Szigeti took to the water again in the 100 freestyle swimming an NCAA consideration time of 51.06.
In the 200 breaststroke, Kovács took her second first-place honor of the day with a NCAA qualifying time of 2:12.55 while sophomore Christine Creek took third-place with a NCAA consideration time of 2:17.76. Andrew hit the water again for her second top honor of the day in the 100 butterfly event, finishing with a NCAA consideration time and season-best of 54.03.
Kovács swam to her third individual first-place finish in the 200 IM, touching the wall in an NCAA consideration time of 2:02.60. Rounding out the afternoon for the women in the swimming pool was the 200 freestyle relay team of Szigeti, Andrew, Baldinger and Ullrich. The women's relay team was edged out at the wall to take second-place with a time of 1:34.04.
In the diving pool for the women, sophomore Cassidy Farwell was the lone Sun Devil competing. She took first-place honors in the 3-meter springboard event with a score of 290.55 and second in the 1-meter scoring 256.20.
All-American Puhakka had another stellar performance for the Sun Devil men, breaking his second-school record in as many days. The reigning NCAA Champion, who broke his previously held school record in the 1-meter event Friday against Stanford, destroyed the school record in the 3-meter that he set in a dual meet against USC earlier this season by more than 51 points, scoring a 449.48 on way to first-place in that event. Puhakka also took top honors in the 1-meter, scoring a 385.73. Junior diver Brant Bingham was also in competition for the Sun Devils, finishing in third-place in the 1-meter event with a score of 262.88 and second in the 3-meter with a personal-best score of 343.65.
In the swimming pool, freshman Lucas Azevedo took to the water in the first individual event of the day in the 1000 freestyle, finishing second in a season-best time of 9:17.73. Senior Jeff Barrett followed up with a strong showing in the 200 freestyle event with a second-place time of 1:40.21. Evan Rahaeuser and Bobby Crowder hit the water in the 100 backstroke finishing second and fourth, respectively. Rahaeuser touched the wall in 51.55 while Crowder finished in 52.72.
Senior Emerson Ward saw action in the 100 breaststroke, finishing third with a time of 56.82. Junior All-American David Kolozar hit the water next in the 200 butterfly swimming a season-best and NCAA consideration time of 1:47.42 to take top honors while freshman CJ Nuess swam into third-place with at season-best time of 1:50.26
The 200 breaststroke saw the Sun Devil men finish first and third, with Leo Martins touching the wall in 2:01.24 to grab top honors while Nuess took third with a time of 2:02.19.
Azevedo and Kolozar took to the water in the 500 freestyle finishing in second and third, respectively. Azevedo swam into second-place in 4:30.16, barely off the first-place time, while Kolozar touched third in 4:33.59.
Swimming in the 200 IM, Nuess finished atop the Sun Devil competitors with a time of 1:51.89. Ending competition for the day for the men was the 200 freestyle relay team of Richie Crowder, Pat Fleming, Barrett and Tom Hickman swimming a season-best time of 1:23.03
The ASU swimming and diving teams return to action Saturday, February 12 against archrival the University of Arizona. The meet will take place in Tucson with events scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.