ROCKWALL, Texas, February 23. DAY two of the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Swimming & Diving Championships got off to a record setting start as North Texas' Catia Weickgenant broke the SBC conference and championship meet record in the 500 freestyle as things got kicked off at the Rockwall Aquatics Center.
Weickgenant bested Anna Labozan of Denver and teammate Hiliary Riedmann to take home first place honors. She broke her own conference record in the event and reset three-year old championship record.
Denver's Clayton Myers took home first place honors in the men's 500 freestyle with an NCAA B cut time of 4:24.53. Mikolaj Czarnecki of Florida Atlantic finished second while Adam Dajka of Western Kentucky came in third.
In the evenings second event, the women's 200 individual medley, FIU's Johann Gustafsdottir took home top honors with an NCAA B cut time of 1:59.14. The freshman new SBC meet and conference record, breaking the previous conference record set over ten years ago by WKU's Brandi Carey.
Florida Atlantic's Eszter Bucz, who finished first in the preliminaries, came in second while another freshman, WKU's Hannah Runyon-Hass came in third.
Denver swept the men's 200 IM with Robert Barrett taking home the top honors in a time of 1:48.14. His teammates Kyle Milberg and Doug Mackenzie took second and third with times of 1:48.44 and 1:49.11, respectively.
The Pioneer women swept the 50 freestyle as Rachel Burns came in first with a time of 23.17. Bailey Beins of DU finished second (23.33) and Sam Corea, also of DU, came in third (23.37).
In the men's 50 free, Heitor Rodrigues of WKU set a new SBC meet and conference record with a time of 20.09 resetting the previous record set back in 2007. Rodrigues time was an NCAA B cut time. FAU's Eric Williams came in second in 20.15, also an NCAA B cut time. Rodrigues teammate, Billy Kunkel finished third for the Toppers.
In the men's 3-meter dive, Florida Atlantic's Ronald Cortina picked up the victory scoring 367.60 points. Denver's Ross Edfort took home second place while Gregory Cox of FAU came in third.
The women's final event of the evening, the 200 freestyle relay, Denver's 'A' squad of Rachel Burns, Same Corea, Bailey Beins and Drew Mathews swam 1:31.74 to take first-place honors.
The Pioneers win in the relay, coupled with its sweep in the 50 free pushed the Pioneers to the lead after day two. DU's women lead the Toppers of WKU by 19 points (275-256). North Texas is in third with 234 points.
Florida Atlantic claimed the title in the men's 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:20.91. Denver came in second at 1:21.45 as WKU was DQ'ed in the event.
After day two, the Pioneers lead the men's team race with 294.5 points. WKU is in second with 293.5 points and FAU in third with 281 points.
Tomorrow's preliminary action will begin at 11 a.m. with the 400 individual medley. Finals will begin at 6 p.m.
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