Moravcikova Breaks Record

By Todd Mounce, Media Relations Graduate Assistant
AUSTIN, Texas – The Tennessee women's swimming and diving team continued to qualify competitors for evening finals at the 2011 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, as two UT swimmers will battle in individual events along with the 400y free relay after Saturday morning’s prelims of the national meet at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
The 200y fly has been sophomore Kelsey Floyd’s dominant event and she proved why in the prelims. The Lexington, Ky., native qualified for ‘A’ final of the event, finishing sixth with a mark of the 1:54.72. The time is the second-fastest clocking in Big Orange history.
In what will be her last event as a Lady Vol, senior Martina Moravcikova raced into the Tennessee record books. Her prelim time of 2:10.31 in the 200y breast is a new UT record, edging out teammate Samara Gelb by .03 seconds. She earned a spot in this evening’s ‘B’ final of the event by placing 11th.
The Lady Vols concluded the prelims by grabbing eighth in the 400y free relay to solidify a spot in the event’s ‘A’ final with a readout of 3:15.91. Making up the Big Orange quartet were junior Jenny Connolly, Floyd and freshmen Alex Frasier and Lindsay Gendron. The mark also ties for the third best in UT history.
Frasier was also UT’s lone representative in the 100y free prelims and touched in at 50.23 seconds to finish 55th.
In addition, a pair of Big Orange swimmers will compete in the 1650y free tonight. Senior Aleksa Akerfelds, who is seeded seventh in the event, will compete in heat five. Gendron will compete in heat four of the mile and is seeded 10th.
Others competing in Saturday morning prelims were senior Tricia Weaner, junior Kirstyn Colonias, sophomore Brooke Watson and freshmen Mary Kate McNeilis and Lauren Solernou.
Three Lady Vols were in the 200y back prelims, as Solernou touched in at 1:56.31 to grab 30th, Weaner placed 36th after a clocking of 1:57.19 and McNeilis registered a time of 1:59.73 to notch 48th. Watson finished 26th in the 200y fly with a clocking of 1:57.68 and Weaner’s time of 2:02.77 placed her 43rd in the event. In the 200y breast prelims, Colonias nabbed 33rd after a mark of 2:12.68.