Saturday, November 01, 2003

The Valparaiso women's swimming and diving team finished in third place at the Eastern Illinois Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Charleston, Ill., missing out on a runner-up finish by just 2.5 points.

Eastern Illinois won the meet with 688.5 points, followed by IUPUI with 478, and the Crusaders with 475.5 points. Butler (336) was fourth, followed by Lincoln (181), and Millikin (121).

Allison Clark (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood H.S.) and Britt Nelson (Cortland, N.Y./Homer H.S.) both posted individual victories on the weekend. Clark won the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:31.36, more than three seconds in front of her nearest competitor, while also finishing third in the 400 individual medley. She finished the IM in 4:54.34.

Nelson took home top honors in the mile with a time of 18:56.14, a mark which was 22 seconds in front of her nearest competitor, teammate Maggie Kroemer (Brown Deer, Wis./Milwaukee Lutheran H.S.), who finished in 19:18.51. Nelson also earned a third place finish in the 500 free (5:21.06) and a fifth in the 200 free (2:02.88).

Senior Katie Urbas (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette H.S.) earned a pair of second place finishes to go along with a third place effort. She was runner-up in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 5:21.06, while also placing second in the 200 butterfly (2:16.17). Urbas finished in third place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.89.

Ashley Seale (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville H.S.) also earned three top-five finishes at the invitational. Seale placed second in the 200 IM, touching the wall in 2:17.08, while finishing fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.55). She also earned a fifth place finish in the 200 breast (2:37.58).

Sophomore Leah Schneider (Sussex, Wis./Arrowhead H.S.) tallied two fourths and a fifth. She was fourth in the 200 IM (2:18.39) and the 200 freestyle (2:02.50), while placing fifth in the 200 fly (2:19.74).

Amanda Gregory (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.) and Sarah Deardorff (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove H.S.) both finished in the top-five as well. Gregory was fourth in the 100 free with a mark of 56.47 seconds, while touching the wall fifth in the 50 free (25.83 seconds). Deardorff was fifth in the 100 breast with a time of 1:13.24.

Valpo will return to action on November 14 when the Crusaders travel to Romeoville, Ill. for a 5 p.m. meet at Lewis.