March 19, 2003
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This Week
The Sun Devil women's swimming & diving team is sending seven swimmers and one diver to the NCAA Championships March 20-22 in Auburn, Ala. The top female swimmers in the nation will converge on the James E. Martin Aquatic Center Thursday through Saturday with preliminary action beginning each day at 11 a.m. and finals starting at 7 p.m. Representing ASU are swimmers Petra Banovic, Claire Hedenskog, Kathryn Hennessy, ?gnes Kov?cs, Florence Mauro, Sandra Steffensen, and Florencia Szigeti and diver Trisha Tumlinson.
The Polls
The CSCAA released its eighth poll of the season on February 27. The ASU men and women are both ranked 15th. This is the first time since the initial poll of the season that the teams have the same ranking. For the complete poll, visit www.cscaa.org, or see the second page of this release.
Diving At Zone E Championships
The diving squad qualified two divers to the NCAAs at last weekend's Zone E Diving Championships. Freshman men's diver Joona Puhakka led the way by winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter competition. He finished the meet as the No. 1 diver out of Zone E. Sun Devil sophomore Thomas McCrummen finished in ninth overall and will serve as the second alternate for the NCAAs. On the women's side, sophomore Trisha Tumlinson finished fifth overall at the conclusion weekend's competition, helped by third place finishes on both the 1-meter and platform.
Women At The NCAAs
The Sun Devil women finished in 10th at last year's NCAA Championships, their highest finish since they took ninth place in 1993, and the first time they had finished higher than 21st since 1995. The women sent 10 competitors to the 2002 meet and ?gnes Kov?cs led the way with a second-place finish in the 200 breast and fifth-place finishes in both the 100 breast and the 400 IM. Kov?cs earned 45 total points, the ninth-most by an individual and the most by a freshman. There were 27 All-America honors claimed by ASU last year, including seven first-team honors.
ASU Women, Last Time In The Pool
The women's swimming team was last in action at the Pac-10 Women's Swimming Championships, Feb. 27 - Mar. 1 in Federal Way, Washington. ?gnes Kov?cs earned second-place finishes on the weekend in the 200 IM, the 100 breast, and the 200 breast to lead the Sun Devils to a sixth-place finish for the eighth straight year. Senior Claire Hedenskog became the first woman in ASU history to swim under 23 seconds in the 50 free by clocking a 22.97 in the prelims. Her finals time of 23.14 was good for fifth-place in that event. The other individual school record set during the meet was Petra Banovic's new all-time best in the 200 free. She swam a 1:47.85 to become the first woman in Sun Devil history to break 1:48.00. The previous school record had stood since 1988. Sandra Steffensen put herself ninth in the all-time top-ten list at ASU with a 1:48.95 in the 200 free. Hedenskog and Florencia Szigeti had outstanding swims in the 100 free to shake up the school record books. Szigeti moved to second all-time with a 50.00 even finals time, which is just one-tenth of a second off of the school record. Hedenskog clocked a 50.23, good enough for third all-time at the school. The two were previously tied for second-best all-time at 50.32.
Up Next For The Sun Devils
The NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships is held Mar. 27-29 in Austin, Texas to close out the season. The men are also sending seven swimmers and one diver to their national meet. Representing ASU will be swimmers Nick Brunelli, Christian Harcsas, Tom Hickman, Ahmed Hussein, David Kolozar, Wiley Wallace and Bobby Zaabadich and diver Joona Puhakka.
Sun Devil Swimmers & Divers Qualified For The 2003 NCAAs
Petra Banovic (Junior -- Transfer) --
Finished second at Pac-10s in the 200 free with a school record 1:47.85...finished seventh at the Pac-10s in the 500 free (4:50.24) after a prelim of 4:49.98...is in the '02-'03 Sun Devils' top two in seven events...put her name in the ASU all-time top-ten in five events in her first season at ASU...member of school record setting 400 free relay (3:20.14) at the Texas Invitational.
NCAA History * None
International History * Competed at 2000 Olympics for Croatia
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 100 free 50.59 (6th); 200 free 1:47.85 (1st); 500 free 4:49.98; 200 back 2:01.28 (7th); 200 fly 2:01.62 (8th); 200 IM 2:02.16 (5th); 400 IM 4:21.97.
Claire Hedenskog (All-American -- Senior) --
Set an ASU record in the 50 free (22.97) on her way to a fifth place finish at the Pac-10s...finished seventh at the Pac-10s in the 100 free with a 50.23, the third-fastest time in school history...16th-place at the conference meet in the 200 free (1:53.59) after a 1:50.68 in the prelims...swept both the 50 free and 100 free races in six dual meets this year...eight dual meet victories in the 50 free on the season...member of school record setting 400 free relay (3:20.14) at the Texas Invitational.
NCAA History * 2002: All-America: 400 medley relay 1st-team; 200 free relay HM; 400 free relay HM; 200 medley relay HM. 2001: All-America: 400 medley relay 1st-team; 200 medley relay HM.
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 50 free 22.97 (1st); 100 free 50.23 (3rd); 200 free 1:50.68.
Kathryn Hennessy (Freshman) --
Placed seventh at the Pac-10s in the 1650 free, setting a personal best 16:32.90 to put herself eighth all-time at ASU...personal best 4:54.30 in the 500 free at the conference championships to finish 20th...four dual meet victories in the 1000 free this year.
NCAA History * None
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 500 free 4:54.30; 1650 free 16:32.90 (8th).
?gnes Kov?cs (Reigning Olympic and World 200m Breast Champion -- Sophomore) --
One of the top breaststrokers in the world...finished second at the Pac-10 Championships in three events: the 100 breast (1:00.88), the 200 breast (2:08.82), and the 200 IM (1:59.18)...set a personal best 59.92 in the 100 breast at the Texas Invitational to finish first...recorded a school record 1:58.13 in the 200 IM at the Texas Invitational...21 dual meet victories on the year.
NCAA History * 2002: Earned 45 points; All-America: 100 breast 1st-team (5th place); 200 breast 1st-team (2nd place); 400 IM 1st-team (5th place); 400 medley relay 1st-team.
International History * 2000 Olympics: Gold medal 200m breast, fifth-place 100m breast...1996 Olympics: Bronze medal 200m breast...2001 World Championships: Gold medal 200m breast...1998 World Championships: Gold medal 200m breast.
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 100 breast 59.92 (2nd); 200 breast 2:07.64 (1st); 200 IM 1:58.13 (1st); 400 IM 4:10.77 (1st).
Florence Mauro (All-American -- Junior) --
Finished 24th at Pac-10 Championships in the 50 free (24.11) after a personal best prelim time of 23.84...22nd at the Pac-10s in both the 100 free (51.85) and the 100 fly (56.38)...member of school record setting 400 free relay (3:20.14) at the Texas Invitational.
NCAA History * 2002: All-America: 200 free relay HM; 400 free relay HM; 200 medley relay HM.
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 100 fly 55.19 (5th); 50 free 23.84; 100 free 51.85.
Sandra Steffensen (Freshman) --
Joined the team at semester...finished 9th at the Pac-10 Championships in the 200 free (1:48.95), putting herself ninth all time at ASU in the process...18th-place finish at conference meet in the 500 free in a personal best 4:52.10...six dual meet victories on the year between the 200 free and 500 free.
NCAA History * None
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 100 free 52.71; 200 free 1:48.95 (9th); 500 free 4:52.10.
Florencia Szigeti (All-American -- Sophomore) --
Finished fifth at the Pac-10 Championships in both the 100 free (50.00) and the 200 free (1:48.72)...her winning 100 free time is the second best in Sun Devil history...finished in 16th at the conference championships in the 50 free (23.79) after a prelim of 23.34 put her fifth in ASU history...led the Sun Devils this year in the 100 back with a 56.87 that she recorded at the Texas Invitational, the tenth-fastest time in ASU history...member of school record setting 400 free relay (3:20.14) at the Texas Invitational.
NCAA History * 2002: All-America: 200 free relay HM; 400 free relay HM; 800 free relay HM.
International History * 2000 South American Champion in the 100 free, second in the 200 free...South American record holder in short-course 100m free and 200m free...represented Argentina at 2000 Olympics, 1999 and 2001 World Championships and 2001 Pan-American Games.
Top Collegiate Times (ASU rank all-time) * 50 free 23.34 (5th); 100 free 50.00 (2nd); 200 free 1:48.44 (6th); 100 back 56.87 (10th).
Trisha Tumlinson (All-American -- Sophomore -- Transfer) --
Finished second at the Pac-10 Diving Championships on the platform with a 454.05, breaking her own school record in the process...4th at the Pac-10s on the 1-meter (293.65) and 7th on the 3-meter (463.20)...set the school record on the 1-meter, 6-dive optionals (300.25)... in dual meet versus Texas and SMU...12 dual meet victories this season between the 1-meter and 3-meter events.
NCAA History * 2002: All-America (while at Kentucky): Platform HM.
International History * 2001 Senior National Champion on platform...2001 Junior National Champion on platform and second on 1-meter...third on platform at 2000 Junior World Championships.
Top Collegiate Scores (ASU rank all-time) * 50 free 19.94 (5th); 100 free 44.55; 100 fly 48.54; 100 breast 55.87 (8th).
Tumlinson To Compete At World Trials
Sophomore female diver Trisha Tumlinson, the school record holder on the platform and the 1-meter optionals, has been invited by USA Diving to compete at the World Championship Trials April 10-13. Approximately 80 athletes will compete at the event held at the Gabrielson Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia, the same venue that was used for the trials for the 1998 World Championship. The top two individual male and female athletes in the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events will be named to the World Championship team. 1-meter participants are selected by the coaching staff. The 10th FINA World Championships are being held July 13-20 in Barcelona, Spain. Additionally, the top four divers in each individual event will compete at the FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix, May 8-11 in The Woodlands, Texas, where Tumlinson went to high school.