Truman State Women Fall to Nebraska -- November 19, 2003

KIRKVILLE, Mo., November 19. AFTER facing two NCAA Division I foes in duals to start the year, the Truman women are 0-2 in dual meets this season. The University of Nebraska handed the Bulldogs their second loss in a dual in Kirksville last Saturday, 149-113. Truman won six of the 13 events at the meet.

The Bulldog women automatically qualified two more swimmers for the NCAA Division II championships. Senior Katie May (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central) qualified on the 400-yard medley relay that recorded a better time of 3.54:55, and freshman Lija Kaleps-Clark (Westerville, Ohio/North) made A cuts in both the 200 backstroke (2.05:40) and the 200 individual medley (2.08:59), along with taking first-place in both of those races.

More A-cuts were claimed by junior Michaela Osborn (Tipton, Iowa) (1:04.97 and 2:22.74) and freshman Brittany Anderson (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin-Coffman) (1:05.90 and 2:23.62) in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes where they placed first and second, respectively, in both of those swims. Osborn set a new pool record in the 200 breast, breaking teammate Brittany Anderson's record she set this season at the Bulldog Invitational in a time 2.24:55.

Senior Alison Blyth (Clive, Iowa/Dowling) bettered her previous time of 2.08:27 in the 200 butterfly to 2.07:50.Junior Sarah Dance (Lincoln, Neb./ Lincoln Southeast) claimed wins in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Dance was also part of the winning 400 medley relay squad. Freshman Brigit Brunsman (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead) had a life time best swim in the 100 breaststroke, recording a time of 1.07:63.

Both of the Bulldog 400 medley relays recorded automatic qualifying times under the 3.56:79 cut off, however with the NCAA allows just one relay per team with the fastest time taken. The second-place team in that event swam the better time and consisted of May, Osborn, sophomore Meredith Rocha (Whitehouse, Texas/Grace Community) and Dance.