By Phillip Whitten<\/p>\n
400 meter freestyle relay<\/b>
\nCOLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 20. THE meet\u2019s final event, the 400 free relay, figured to be yet another struggle between SEC powerhouses, Auburn and Georgia. No surprise there.<\/p>\n
But first there was a small matter to dispose of.<\/p>\n
True champions acknowledge defeat with grace and then bounce back. That\u2019s why one California Golden Bear, a certain Natalie Coughlin, was leading off her team\u2019s relay. And she had some serious bouncing to do.<\/p>\n
A four-year winning streak had been broken in her last race. Could she bounce back?<\/p>\n
Ask not, ye doubters. Looking confident. Nat stroked to an American and NCAA record 52.81. A new streak had begun.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Georgia\u2019s Kara Lynn Joyce wasn\u2019t far behind, leading off for the Dawgs in 53.46. Georgia\u2019s second swimmer, Neka Mabry, followed with a 53.52 — 5-hundredths faster than Auburn\u2019s Margaret Hoelzer — to give Georgia a lead it never relinquished. The Dawgs were barking at a new American record.<\/p>\n
The Tigers made up a quarter of a second on Christina Swindle\u2019s 54.44 split, but Georgia\u2019s Andrea Georoff, handed off a lead of over a second to Mary Descenza, who had won the 200 fly half an hour before. Auburn countered with Becky Short. .<\/p>\n
Descenza delivered. Looking relaxed the whole way, she never let Short get within striking range, splitting 53.47 to Short\u2019s 53.70.<\/p>\n
Georgia\u2019s 3:35.14 was an American and NCAA record \u2013 and history\u2019s second fastest time. Only China, which went 3:34.55 in 1997, has gone faster. Auburn finished in 3:36.50, also under the former American\/NCAA record.<\/p>\n
Official Results: 400-Meter Freestyle Relay Finals<\/p>\n
EVENT: 21 WOMEN's 400 Meter Freestyle Relay <\/p>\n
NCAA Record: 3:37.67 Georgia 2000
\nWorld Record: 3:34.55 CHN 1997
\nAmerican Record: 3:37.10 USA 2002
\nUS Open Record: 3:37.67 Georgia 2000
\nQUALIFYING FOR "A" Cut: 3:18.95
\nQUALIFYING FOR This Meet: 3:20.03<\/p>\n
RESULTS of FINALS <\/p>\n
RANK TEAM PRELIM TIME<\/p>\n
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL <\/p>\n
1) GEORGIA 3:40.68 3:35.14**
\n 1) JOYCE, KARA LYNN FR :53.46 3) GEOROFF, ANDREA JR :54.69
\n 2) MABRY, NEKA SR :53.52 4) DESCENZA, MARY SO :53.47
\n ** NCAA Record: American Record: US Open Record:
\n 2) AUBURN 3:39.78 3:36.50
\n 1) COPARROPA, EILEEN SR :54.79 3) SWINDLE, CHRISTINA FR :54.44
\n 2) HOELZER, MARGARET JR :53.57 4) SHORT, BECKY SR :53.70<\/p>\n
3) CALIFORNIA 3:41.06 3:40.31
\n 1) COUGHLIN, NATALIE SR :52.81++ 3) BURDEN, MICHA SR :56.36
\n 2) BECKS, DANIELLE SR :55.97 4) MEDINA, LAUREN JR :55.17
\n ++ NCAA Record: American Record: US Open Record: <\/p>\n
4) ARIZONA 3:41.02 3:40.33
\n 1) HAYES, JESSICA JR :55.12 3) MYERS, WHITNEY FR :55.06
\n 2) GRESDAL, JENNA SO :55.14 4) SMITH, MARSHI SO :55.01<\/p>\n
5) TEXAS A&M 3:41.93 3:41.04
\n 1) LIEB, KATY SO :56.06 3) BIRD, MICHELLE JR :55.80
\n 2) TOWNSEND, DANIELLE JR :54.70 4) STURDY, REBECCA FR :54.48<\/p>\n
6) FLORIDA 3:40.90 3:41.91
\n 1) FARRELL, MAUREEN JR :55.19 3) UHLE, MARIETTA SO :55.33
\n 2) GIBNEY, CHANTAL SR :56.07 4) ELLIS, JAIME SR :55.32<\/p>\n
7) WISCONSIN 3:42.55 3:41.93
\n 1) HERNANDEZ, SARAH SO :55.84 3) TRINIDAD, ANNA SO :56.02
\n 2) PIPER, CARLY JR :55.73 4) PENDLETON, BETHANY SR :54.34<\/p>\n
8) UCLA 3:42.44 3:43.69
\n 1) SVAHNSTROM, MALIN SR :55.95 3) PLATZER, SARA SR :54.59
\n 2) VANDENBERG, KIM SO :56.35 4) THURMAN, AMY FR :56.80<\/p>\n
CONSOLATION FINAL <\/p>\n
9) TEXAS 3:43.54 3:41.40
\n 1) SIMINSKI, KRISTY SO :55.90 3) FAULKNER, JACLYN SO :55.47
\n 2) ELLIOTT, LACEY SR :55.01 4) WANEZEK, SARAH JR :55.02<\/p>\n
10) SOUTHERN METHODIST 3:42.58 3:41.63
\n 1) LEE, GEORGINA SR :55.04 3) DARLING, LEANE FR :55.81
\n 2) POMEROY, LAURA SO :55.18 4) LEMMEN, CELINA FR :55.60<\/p>\n
11) SOUTH CAROLINA 3:42.71 3:41.95
\n 1) VANASSEN, JENNIFER SR :55.02 3) BASTAK, ASHLEIGH SR :56.43
\n 2) SKAGGS, HEATHER JR :55.35 4) McHUGH, CAROLYNN JR :55.15<\/p>\n
12) INDIANA 3:42.85 3:41.96
\n 1) VAZIRI, LEILA FR :56.10 3) WENTWORTH, CLARISSA FR :55.59
\n 2) SMITH, ERIN JR :55.48 4) MEGHAN, MEDENDORP SR :54.79<\/p>\n
13) STANFORD 3:43.61 3:43.10
\n 1) BOUTWELL, LACEY JR :54.92 3) DALY, ASHLEY FR :56.60
\n 2) RANSOM, TAMI JR :56.06 4) KIRK, DANA SO :55.52<\/p>\n
14) ARIZONA STATE 3:45.61 3:44.02
\n 1) SZIGETI, FLORENCIA JR :55.34 3) BALDINGER, ERIN SO :57.34
\n 2) BANOVIC, PETRA SR :55.61 4) GILLESPIE, AMANDA FR :55.73<\/p>\n
15) MICHIGAN 3:43.95 3:44.45
\n 1) SMITH, LINDSEY FR :56.29 3) SESKEVICS, ABBY SO :56.30
\n 2) WEILBACHER, ANNE SR :56.23 4) McCULLOUGH, AMY JR :55.63<\/p>\n
16) FLORIDA STATE 3:46.03 3:47.33
\n 1) BREEN, EMILY JR :56.99 3) DONG, RACHEL SR :57.97
\n 2) DUTTON, EMMA SR :55.50 4) HOW, LISA JR :56.87<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Phillip Whitten 400 meter freestyle relay COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 20. THE meet\u2019s final event, the 400 free relay, figured to be yet another struggle between SEC powerhouses, Auburn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zzzzzzzzz"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n