Dec. 5, 2010
Results
PRINCETON, N.J. - The Washington State University swim team completed the final day of competition at the Big Al Invitational, Sunday, wrapping up a meet that consisted of multiple top-10 performances, NCAA "B" consideration times and one school record.
The 400 freestyle relay team highlighted the Sunday finals session during the last race of the invitational. The team of Rugile Mileisyte, Jennifer Dean, Talor Whitaker and Melissa Bogert won the event with a time of 3:23.02. The performance was the fastest of any WSU squad this season and cleared the NCAA "B" time, marking the third Cougar relay team to do so.
Mileisyte just missed the time standard during her swim in the prelims of the 100 freestyle. The senior touched the wall in 50.25 seconds, only two tenths of a second behind the NCAA time. Mileisyte went on to earn a third-place finish in the finals session which was well represented by WSU, as four of the eight competitors in the "A" final were Cougars. Bogert, Whitaker and Evelina Bieleckaite followed Mileisyte, finishing fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively.
Newcomer Marina Ruiz Jimenez made her way onto the WSU all-time top-10 list in the 100 breaststroke Saturday and wrote herself into the record books for the 200 breaststroke, Sunday. The Jaen, Spain native finished fourth in event and recorded a time of 2:20.10, eighth-best in school history. Freshman Talor Indahl finished sixth while recording a lifetime-best time.
Junior Danielle Palumbo and sophomore Shelbi Luchini competed for the Cougars in the "A" final of the 200 backstroke. Palumbo finished sixth while Luchini was right behind her, taking seventh.
A pair of WSU freshmen qualified for the finals of the 200 butterfly. Emma Johansson was the top finisher of the "B" final, taking ninth, while Morlan finished in 21st place. Both swimmers notched lifetime bests in the event.
After combining each team's swimming and diving scores, the Cougars placed third in the eight-team field, finishing behind Florida and host school Princeton. The Cougars will have a month intermission before they travel to Los Angeles to battle conference foe UCLA, Jan. 7.
