Women’s NCAA Div. 1 Champs, Day 3 Finals: Three-Peat for DeScenza in 200 Butterfly

By Dan Mihalik

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, March 19. MARY DeScenza received a challenge, but came through at the finish. Pushed by Stanford's Dana Kirk, DeScenza, the two-time defending champion from Georgia, rallied from an early deficit in the 200 butterfly.

Not bothered by Kirk's early lead, DeScenza swam her race and passed Kirk after the 150 turn, leading to her third consecutive victory in the event with a time of 1:54.19. Kirk faded and finished the race in fifth.

Arizona nailed down a good showing, as Emily Mason finished the race in second, falling to Descenza by .59, while Whitney Myers finished in fourth, and Pac-10 rival Kim Vandenberg of UCLA finished third.

Marisa Kozak of Southern Cal finished in seventh place, while a pair of SEC swimmers rounded out the top eight. Katie Yevak of Georgia was seventh and Candace Weiman of Florida finished in eighth.

EVENT: 19 WOMEN's 200 Yard BUTTERFLY

NCAA Record: 1:51.91 NATALIE COUGHLIN CALIFORNIA 2002
NCAA Meet Record: 1:53.23 SHELLY RIPPLE STANFORD 2002
AMERICAN Record: 1:51.91 NATALIE COUGHLIN CALIFORNIA 2002
US OPEN Record: 1:51.91 NATALIE COUGHLIN CALIFORNIA 2002
POOL RECORD: 1:58.08 AMBER BIEDERMANN PENN STATE 2003
QUALIFYING FOR "A" CUT: 1:58.11

RESULTS of FINALS

RANK NAME YEAR TEAM PRELIM TIME

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) DESCENZA, MARY JR GEORGIA 1:54.83 1:54.19**
:25.85 :29.04 :29.31 :29.99
** POOL RECORD:
2) MASON, EMILY SR ARIZONA 1:56.09 1:54.79
:25.82 :29.22 :29.63 :30.12
3) VANDENBERG, KIM JR UCLA 1:56.01 1:55.08
:26.16 :28.94 :30.04 :29.94
4) MYERS, WHITNEY SO ARIZONA 1:56.60 1:55.60
:26.02 :29.28 :30.00 :30.30
5) KIRK, DANA JR STANFORD 1:56.79 1:56.17
:25.77 :28.63 :29.84 :31.93
6) YEVAK, KATIE SR GEORGIA 1:57.59 1:56.63
:26.73 :29.51 :30.14 :30.25
7) KOZAK, MARISA SR SOUTHERN CAL. 1:56.43 1:56.72
:26.26 :29.92 :29.84 :30.70
8) WEIMAN, CANDACE SO FLORIDA 1:57.94 1:57.19
:26.35 :29.59 :30.18 :31.07

CONSOLATION FINAL

9) BETHUNE, TAWNIE SO AUBURN 1:58.68 1:56.35
:26.82 :29.14 :30.21 :30.18
10) HILL, ELIZABETH FR GEORGIA 1:58.28 1:57.00
:26.52 :29.27 :30.69 :30.52
11) HASTRUP, KRISTEN FR AUBURN 1:59.05 1:58.22
:27.17 :29.95 :30.29 :30.81
12) HARPER, REBECCA SR FLORIDA 1:59.60 1:58.63
:27.58 :30.18 :30.44 :30.43
13) DAVIS, LAURA JR STANFORD 1:59.62 1:58.98
:27.09 :30.80 :30.64 :30.45
14) DEGENSTEIN, ANN JR CINCINNATI 1:59.43 1:59.00
:27.29 :30.20 :30.53 :30.98
15) BASSI, NOELLE SO HARVARD 1:59.32 1:59.29
:27.98 :30.41 :30.48 :30.42
16) OLIN, CHRISTINA SR NORTHWESTERN 1:59.47 2:00.54
:27.23 :30.40 :31.06 :31.85

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