Feb. 26, 2005
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - Senior All-American diver Trisha Tumlinson defended her Pac-10 title in the platform event while the Arizona State University women's swimming and diving team concludes competition in sixth-place at the Pac-10 Championships held at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. The Sun Devils scored 926.50 points throughout 21 events.
Tumlinson, competing in her final Pac-10 Championships, became a two-time Pac-10 champion in the platform event as she defended her title with a score of 443.50. She finished her Pac-10 career a three-time champion. She was the 2004 Pac-10 champion on the platform and the 3-meter springboard events. Tumlinson was named Pac-10 Diver of the Month for December and was recognized as the Pac-10 Diver of the Year in 2004.
The Sun Devil women saw action in six events on the final day of competition at the Pac-10 Championships, with senior All-American Ágnes Kovács leading the way for ASU in the 200 breaststroke. Kovács, the 2002 Pac-10 Champion in the 200 breast, finished in second at this year's competition with a NCAA qualifying and season-best time of 2:11.91. Sophomore Christine Creek claimed seventh-place honors with a NCAA consideration time of 2:16.34 while teammate Heidi Schmidt, who finished third in the 100 breaststroke, swam a time of 2:16.28.
Senior All-American Florencia Szigeti was in action in the 100 freestyle event for the Sun Devil women, swimming into fifth overall with a time of 49.81. Her preliminary time of 49.77 is a NCAA qualifying time in the 100 freestyle event. Freshman Caitlin Andrew, who won the Pac-10 title in the 100 butterfly Friday evening, finished seventh overall in the 100 freestyle with a NCAA consideration time of 50.27.
The 1650 freestyle event saw junior Kathryn Hennessy take eighth-place honors, swimming a NCAA consideration time of 16:44.86. Sophomore Amanda Gillespie saw action in the 200 backstroke event for the ASU women, finishing with the top time for the Sun Devils with a 2:05.28. Freshman Ellis Schieman swam ASU's fastest time in the 200 butterfly event, touching the wall in 2:02.48.
The Sun Devil women concluded Pac-10 Championship action with the 400 freestyle relay team of Szigeti, Andrew, Laura Ullrich and Sally Brown. The relay team swam a NCAA consideration time of 3:20.93 to finish in fourth-place.
Junior All-American diver Joona Puhakka, who claimed titles in the 1-meter and 3-meter events earlier this week, saw action in the platform event for the men where he finished in sixth-place with a score of 411.95.
The Sun Devil men hit the water at the Pac-10 Championships next week, March, 2-6 in Long Beach, Calif. The men's and women's diving teams are back in action March, 10-12 at the Zone Diving Championships held in Oklahoma City, Okla.