March 19, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's swimming and diving team broke two program records and advanced three athletes into finals during Friday afternoon's session of the NCAA Championships.
Sophomore Casey Matthews posted the second-highest score during qualifying in the 3-meter springboard. The Getzville, N.Y., native improved her standing in second on Purdue's all-time performance list with a collegiate-best score of 380.95 points. Matthews is set to score points from the highest springboard for the first time after two straight honorable mention All-America performances from the 1-meter.
The Boilermakers began the session by taking down the program record and advancing to the final in the 200-yard medley relay. Allie Smith, Jessica Davis, Lisa Butler and Ariel Martin touched the wall in a time of 1 minute, 39.50 seconds to log the 16th-fastest time and qualify for the 'B' final. The quartet bettered the previous record of 1:40.21 it set while finishing fifth at the Big Ten Championships last month.
Smith also qualified for Friday evening's session with a program-record swim as she clocked the 16th-fastest time in the 100 backstroke. The junior from Green Bay, Wis., broke Purdue's record by touching the wall in 53.20. Smith's time broke the previous record of 53.60 she set at the Ohio State Last Chance Qualifier and stands as the third time this season she has lowered the record.
Lauren Roth led three Purdue swimmers in the 200 freestyle. The sophomore from Carrollton, Texas, improved her standing in second on the program's all-time performance list in the event with her 1:46.47 time that was the 21st-fastest recorded among the nine preliminary heats. Butler improved her standing in third on the all-time performance list with her time of 1:47.48 that placed 33rd. Martin, Purdue's record holder in the event, logged the 32nd-fastest time of 1:47.44.
Davis, who ranks second on Purdue's all-time performance list in the 100 breaststroke, was the lone Boilermaker in the event. The junior from Tempe, Ariz., finished her first national championship race in 1:01.56 to grab the 25th-fastest time. Classmate Erin Mertz finished 21st in the 3-meter by scoring 304.95 points one day after earning All-America honors off the 1-meter.
Friday's evening session, which features finals in eight events, begins at 7 p.m. ET. The 200 medley relay leads off the session, and the 100 backstroke is the sixth event on the schedule, immediately preceding 3-meter diving before the 800 freestyle relay, in which Purdue is ranked 12th, caps the events. Live video and live results can be found at purduesports.com.