Thursday, February 16, 2006

Valparaiso sits in seventh place after the first day of competition Thursday at the Mid-Continent Conference Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. Amanda Gregory (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.) posted an eighth-place finish in the 500 free to lead the Crusaders.

Gregory touched the wall in the final with a time of 5:22.52. Her preliminary time of 5:19.91 Thursday morning in the same event moved her into seventh place on Valpo's all-time chart.

Gregory also led off Valpo's 200 free relay, which registered a third-place finish. The team of Gregory, Katy Eelma (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North H.S.), Leah Schneider (Sussex, Wis./Arrowhead H.S.), and Rachel Korellis (Champaign, Ill./Centennial H.S.), finished in 1:40.57, eighth-best in Crusader history. Valpo's 400 medley relay came home in sixth place.

Shannon McDonald (Crown Point, Ind./Marian Catholic H.S.) placed 14th in the 200 individual medley. Her time of 2:15.98 ranks seventh-best in Valpo history in the event. Korellis led the Crusader effort in the 50 free, finishing in 14th position.

Valpo's 75.5 points place the team seventh after day one of the championships, a three-day affair. Oakland leads the pack with 302 points, while the Crusaders trail South Dakota State by just 1 point. Meet action resumes Friday morning at 10 a.m.