USC
2011 NCAA Championships (Finals Day 2)
Hosszu Claims 2nd NCAA Title, USC Now 3rd
March 18, 2011 | Women's Swimming & Diving
March 18, 2011
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Katinka Hosszu won her second national title in as many days (400y IM) while seniors Lyndsay DePaul (100y fly) and Presley Bard (100y back) and freshman Kasey Carlson (100y breast) were all top 4 - as was the 200y medley relay - in another strong session during Day Two finals action at the 2011 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Texas' Jamail Swim Center in Austin on Friday (March 18).
Pac-10 rival Cal took over the team lead with 295 points with Georgia second (274.5) and the Trojans third (253). USC, battling for its second team title (1997), is also seeking its first top 3 finish since 2003. Stanford is fourth (192) and Arizona is fifth (184) as the Pac-10 continues to dominate the meet.
"Coming into this year, we wanted to move into the top 5 with the possibility of making a run for the top," USC head coach Dave Salo said. "No one at the top has made any big mistakes yet and we're in position if someone makes a mistake.
"If we can finish top 3, it's huge for the program. It's something we haven't done in a long time and people will take notice that we are challenging for the top. We have a tough day ahead of us and have to swim hard in the morning."
USC's 200y medley relay of Bard, Carlson, DePaul and sophomore Christel Simms broke the school record for the second time on the day, finishing third in 1:36.06, marking Troy's first All-American effort in the event in 10 years. Cal's squad won with an American record (1:35.03) while Wisconsin edged Troy for second in 1:35.71. The quartet first lowered the school record in prelims (1:36.49) to qualify first for the final. Troy was 11th in the race last year.
Hosszu, who won her first NCAA title Thursday in the 200y IM, doubled her career total with a dominating performance in the 400y IM, winning wire-to-wire in 3:59.75 to become just the second woman ever to go under four minutes. Hosszu led by 1:08 seconds after the opening fly and still held a 1:04 advantage after the back. Florida's Elizabeth Beisel took over second after the breast, but Hosszu had built the lead to 1.30 and she held off the Gator freshman to win by 1:12.
"I'm tired, but I'm really happy. I've never been under four minutes before so I'm happy to have my best time now," said Hosszu, who not only lowered her own school record (4:00.03) but also broke Summer Sanders' longstanding pool record (4:02.28). "I really wanted to win and I know, as a team, we need all the points we can get. I just pushed the last 100."
Hosszu is the first Trojan to sweep the medley races at the NCAAs since Kaitlin Sandeno did it in 2004. Hosszu is the top seed in the 200y fly Saturday, giving her a chance to become only the second Trojan to win three NCAA titles in one year (Kristine Quance did it twice in 1994 and 1996).
"Katinka had a good swim," Salo said. "I hope she's not running out of gas because she's got the 200y fly tomorrow, but that's all she's got and she's resilient. I'd like to have her win three wins to cap the competition."
In the consolation final of the 400y IM, freshman Stina Gardell took fourth (12th overall) in 4:07.38 while sophomore Haley Anderson was eighth (16th overall) in 4:12.69. Anderson scored in the 400y IM in her first-ever day of postseason swimming in the event. She set a PR in prelims (4:09.29).
DePaul went from the top seed in the 100y fly prelims to the top seed in the final after a 51.71 morning effort. In the final, DePaul was fifth early and moved into third after 75 yards and finished third in 51.74. Cal senior Amanda Sims turned in the fastest time of the year to win the race (50.49) while Western Kentucky's Claire Donahue held off DePaul for second (51.68). DePaul's finish marks her second straight top 3 finish at NCAAs after taking second last year.
Sophomore Yumi So, in her second career NCAA `B' final after tying for 14th in prelims, finished fifth in the race and 13th overall after a 52.97. She tied her PR in the morning (52.71).
Carlson, fifth in the 50y free Thursday, notched her second final on Friday with a fourth-place in the 100y breast (59.29). In a fast-moving field, Minnesota senior Jillian Tyler won in 58.48 with Texas A&M freshman Breeja Larson second (59.03) and George Mason junior Ashley Danner third (59.63).
 Presley Bard after placing third in the 100y back at the 2011 NCAA Championships.  | |
Bard, making her third consecutive appearance in the NCAA 100y back final, equaled her day-old school record with a 51.62 for third place. She was also third in 2010. Cal freshmen Cindy Tran (51.30) and Deborah Roth (51.51) went 1-2 as the pair held off the charging Trojan senior.
In the timed final of the 800y free relay, Hosszu, Anderson, Gardell and Smith clocked a 7:04.21 out of the second heat and finished eighth overall, earning All-American honors. Georgia won the race (6:55.40) with Cal second (6:58.71) and Arizona third (6:59.20).
Sophomore Jessica Schmitt posted a PR in the 400y IM prelims (4:10.86), almost earning a second swim in 19th. Other Trojan finishers in prelims included freshman Meghan Hawthorne in the 400y IM (4:13.01), junior Tanya Krisman in the 100y fly (34th, 53.70), junior Amanda Smith in the 200y free (29th, 1:46.64) and Simms in the 100y back (44th, 54.38). So was also 31st in the 100y back in prelims (53.87).
Junior diver Victoria Ishimatsu hit her heels on the board during her fourth dive in the 3-meter springboard prelims, ending her day. She is expected, however, to compete in platform on Saturday.
Note: ESPN2 will air a 90-minute recap show at 1:30 p.m. ET on April 5.
Players Mentioned
