Women’s NCAA Champs: Georgia Smashes American Record in the 400 Medley ReLay, But Auburn Jumps Out to a Big Lead in Team race

By Phillip Whitten

400 meter medley relay

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 18. TOP-SEEDED Georgia won as expected, setting a new American and NCAA mark of 3:56.40 in the process. But as Ringo Starr once observed, “you know it don’t come easy.”

The Dawgs battled down to the wire with an inspired Stanford Cardinal team, juiced by an other-worldly 1:04.09 breaststroke split –that’s NOT a misprint — by Tara Kirk. Tara’s younger sister, Dana followed with a 57.10 fly split, the fastest in the race. But Georgia had Super Frosh Kara Lynn Joyce, and she made up the difference between the two teams in the first 50 meters, then pulled away to give Georgia a solid 1.6 second margin.

Georgia’s splits:

Back Neka Mabry 1:00.17
Breast Sarah Poewe 1:06.03
Fly Mary Descenza 57.19
Free Kara Lynn Joyce 53.09

At the end of Day One, Georgia had provided the fireworks, but Auburn had amassed its largest firtday point totl ever: 188 points. Georgia is second with 135, followed by Arizona (86), Florida (84) and Stanford (82).

Official Results: 400-Meter Medley Relay Finals

EVENT: 6 WOMEN's 400 Meter Medley Relay

NCAA Record: 3:57.46 Georgia 2000
World Record: 3:55.78 SWE 2002
American Record: 3:57.17 USA 2002
US Open Record: 3:57.46 Georgia 2000
QUALIFYING FOR "A" Cut: 3:38.32
QUALIFYING FOR This Meet: 3:40.78

RESULTS of FINALS

RANK TEAM PRELIM TIME

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) GEORGIA 3:58.41 3:56.48**
1) MABRY, NEKA SR 1:00.17 3) DESCENZA, MARY SO :57.19
2) POEWE, SARAH SO 1:06.03 4) JOYCE, KARA LYNN FR :53.09
** NCAA Record: US Open Record:
2) STANFORD 4:01.13 3:58.00
1) BOUTWELL, LACEY JR 1:01.08 3) KIRK, DANA SO :57.10
2) KIRK, TARA SR 1:04.09 4) RANSOM, TAMI JR :55.73

3) ARIZONA 3:59.81 3:59.18
1) SMITH, MARSHI SO :59.65 3) MYERS, WHITNEY FR :57.76
2) WAGNER, JESSICA SR 1:07.05 4) HAYES, JESSICA JR :54.72

4) PENN STATE 4:01.48 4:01.59
1) HAUPT, SARAH SO :59.62 3) BIEDERMANN, AMBERLE SO :59.61
2) WOODRING, KRISTEN SR 1:07.59 4) DLUGONSKI, DEIRDRE JR :54.77

5) AUBURN 4:02.67 4:01.85
1) COVENTRY, KIRSTY JR :59.23 3) CHRISTIANSON,DEMERA SR :58.68
2) AMARDEILH, ANNE FR 1:08.85 4) COPARROPA, EILEEN SR :55.09

6) TEXAS 4:02.01 4:02.02
1) WYCLIFFE, ELIZABETH SO 1:00.51 3) WANEZEK, SARAH JR :58.64
2) TINNON, ELIZABETH FR 1:07.53 4) SIMINSKI, KRISTY SO :55.34

7) CALIFORNIA 4:01.75 4:02.49
1) SILVER, HELEN SO 1:01.79 3) COUGHLIN, NATALIE SR :57.26
2) BABICZ, ANNIE FR 1:07.82 4) BECKS, DANIELLE SR :55.62

8) MICHIGAN 4:04.38 4:04.52
1) JOHNSON, SARA SR 1:01.35 3) WEILBACHER, ANNE SR :59.93
2) STEIN, KELLI SR 1:08.12 4) McCULLOUGH, AMY JR :55.12

CONSOLATION FINAL

9) UCLA 4:04.66 4:03.37
1) ARNOLD, KATIE FR 1:00.54 3) VANDENBERG, KIM SO :59.50
2) HOVSEPIAN, LESLIE SR 1:09.53 4) PLATZER, SARA SR :53.80

10) FLORIDA 4:04.42 4:03.98
1) FARRELL, MAUREEN JR 1:00.77 3) HARPER, REBECCA JR 1:01.85
2) BERNHARDT, VIPA SO 1:07.34 4) ELLIS, JAIME SR :54.02

11) WISCONSIN 4:06.00 4:05.60
1) JOHNSON, SUSAN FR 1:01.63 3) PENDLETON, BETHANY SR 1:00.86
2) SARNECKI, AMALIA SO 1:07.91 4) HERNANDEZ, SARAH SO :55.20

12) FLORIDA STATE 4:08.21 4:07.92
1) BREEN, EMILY JR 1:02.52 3) HOW, LISA JR 1:00.83
2) BRICK, LAUREN FR 1:09.75 4) DUTTON, EMMA SR :54.82

13) INDIANA 4:07.61 4:08.01
1) VAZIRI, LEILA FR 1:01.17 3) SMITH, ERIN JR 1:00.61
2) TAFLINGER, BROOKE SR 1:10.83 4) MEGHAN, MEDENDORP SR :55.40

14) MARYLAND 4:08.47 4:08.15
1) KNEPPER, MEGAN JR 1:02.46 3) deTOLL, GIGI FR 1:00.73
2) MULYAYEVA, MARINA JR 1:08.96 4) LAVELL, ELIZABETH JR :56.00

15) ARIZONA STATE 4:07.63 4:08.73
1) BALDINGER, ERIN SO 1:03.85 3) GILLESPIE, AMANDA FR 1:01.72
2) KOVACS, AGNES JR 1:08.74 4) SZIGETI, FLORENCIA JR :54.42

16) PACIFIC (CALIFORNIA) 4:07.79 4:09.43
1) MARSHALL, SARAH SR 1:02.25 3) CATALANO, SHANNON SR :59.76
2) WILLEY, KRIS SR 1:11.67 4) ERRECART, ROBIN SR :55.75

Team Standings (through day one)
1, Auburn, 188 points.
2, Georgia, 135.
3, Arizona, 86.
4, Florida, 84.
5, Stanford, 82.
6, UCLA, 75.
7, Texas, 73.
8, California, 67.
9, South Carolina, 52.5.
10, Michigan, 49.
10, Wisconsin, 49.
12, USC, 37.
13, Indiana, 36.5.
14, Penn State, 32.
15, Arizona State, 26.
16, Texas A&M, 25.5.
17, Notre Dame, 25.
18, Alabama, 23.
18, Florida State, 23.
20, SMU, 14.
21, LSU, 13.5.
22, Hawai'i, 12.
23, Villanova, 6.
23, Richmond, 6.
23, Maryland, 6.
26, Tennessee, 5.
27, Pacific, 4.
28, Arkansas, 3.
29, Virginia, 1.
29, Brown, 1.

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