Nevada Continues to Lead WAC Swimming and Diving Championships

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, February 16. NEVADA continues to lead the 2007 Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships being held at the Palo Alto College Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. The Wolf Pack are looking for their first ever WAC title with one more day of competition remaining.

In Friday's finals, Northern Arizona's Alexis Buckley won the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:23.73, nearly five seconds faster than her prelim time (4:28.61). Liz Thomson of New Mexico State placed second with a time of 4:30.84. Idaho's JoJo Miller was third (4:31.25).

Hawai‘i's Mia Broden won the 100 butterfly for the third straight year after swimming an NCAA provision qualifying time of 55.13. Kim Kabesh of Nevada was second (55.40) while Hawai‘i's Elliko Heimbach joined her teammate as a medalist garnering the bronze with a time of 55.85.

In the 200 freestyle, Hawai‘i's Bache Atkins took gold medal honors for a second straight year with a provisional time of 1:48.00. Corie Collins of Northern Arizona was second (1:50.45) while Nevada's Bobbie Lee Reese took third place (1:51.97).

Nevada freshman Margaret Doolittle won the 100 breaststroke in a provisional time of 1:03.11. Her teammate Sarah Shields was second (1:04.24) while Cassie Lyons of Northern Arizona was third (1:04.41).

Nicole Mackey of Hawai‘i won the 100 backstroke for the third time in her four years with the Rainbow Wahine in a time of 54.52. San Jose State's Ashley Vrieze came in just ahead of Idaho's Kacie Hogan for second place, swimming a time of 56.12, .06 seconds faster than Hogan.

Hawai‘i's divers took the top three spots in the 3-meter diving. Megan Farrow won the event for the second straight year with a score of 341.40. Emma Friesen was second (312.80) while Raquel Bartlow finished third (299.25).

In the final event of the evening, Nevada won the 400 medley relay as Li Bei, Doolittle, Kabesh and Michaela Schmidt swam a time of 3:46.26. Hawai‘i, winner of the event the previous two years, came in second with a time of 3:49.24. Mackey led off the relay and swam an automatic qualifying time of 54.38 in the 100 backstroke.

After three days of competition, Nevada leads with 556.5 points, while Hawai‘i is second with 483. Northern Arizona is third with 421 points followed by San Jose State with 282.5, New Mexico State 250, Idaho 241, San Diego 172 and Boise State 88. Last year at this point, Nevada led the meet with an 11.5 point lead over Hawai‘i but the Rainbow Wahine came back to win the championship by nearly 50 points.

Team scores after Friday night

1. Nevada 556.5
2. Hawai`i 483
3. Northern Arizona 421
4. San Jose State 282.5
5. New Mexico State 250
6. Idaho 241
7. San Diego 172
8. Boise State 88

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