NCAA Div 2: Three Truman Swimmers Make Automatic Qualifying Times
KIRKSVILLE, Missouri, November 4. THE Truman men's and women's swim teams fell to Division I Missouri in a valiant showing on Friday. The Bulldog women lost 126-78 to the 23rd-ranked Mizzou team, while the men fell, 127-78.
The Bulldog women automatically qualified three swimmers for the NCAA Division II championship to be held in Buffalo, N.Y., next March. Sophomore Meredith Rocha (Whitehouse, Texas/Grace Community) (2.08:31) and senior Alison Blyth (Clive, Iowa/Dowling) (2.08:72) qualified in the 200-yard butterfly and junior Michaela Osborn (Tipton, Iowa) (2.22:53) qualified in the 200 breaststroke. Osborn nearly missed her own school record in the 200 breaststroke that she set last year at the national meet.
Other top finishes turned in by the women included second-place showings for sophomore Whitney Jensen (Grinnell, Iowa) in the 50 freestyle (24.82), junior Sarah Dance (Lincoln, Neb./Southeast) who clocked a 53.26 in the 100 freestyle, and freshman Lija Kaleps-Clark (Westerville, Ohio/North) who placed second in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:07.97.
The Bulldog men also swam well despite finishing behind Mizzou. Among their top finishes were senior Robby Cooper's (Holden, Mo.) first-place finishes in the 1,000- (9:51.54) and 500-yard (4:45.37) freestyles. Sophomore Josh Otis (Johnston, Iowa/Dowling) won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:56.89.
Junior Nick Joslin (Omaha, Neb./Ralston) placed second in the 50 free (22.33).Don't miss the Bulldogs in action this weekend at the Bulldog Invitational on Friday and Saturday in the Pershing Natatorium.