March 21, 2014
Friday Results: Prelims | Finals | Dive-by-Dive Scoring
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Michelle Cabassol's second All-America honor of the week earned via a fourth-place finish in the championship final of 3-meter diving highlighted day two action at the NCAA Championships for Purdue women's swimming and diving.
Cabassol placed third among a field of 39 divers in the preliminaries to advance to the 3-meter championship final for the second year in a row. She earned a career-best list score of 370.65 in the finals, improving on her sixth-best mark in program history. She earned 15 team points for Purdue Friday and has now accounted for all of the Boilermakers' 22 points over the first two nights of competition at the national championship meet. She has helped Purdue move into 26th place of 46 scoring teams at the NCAA Championships.
Cabassol was also an All-American in 3-meter diving at the 2013 NCAA Championships after placing fourth in the championship final. She took second in the consolation final of 1-meter diving Thursday to earn Honorable Mention All-America distinction. Despite being just a redshirt-sophomore, Cabassol is expected to retire from diving following this season. She's on track to graduate in December.
Carly Mercer, Sheets, Nika Karlina Petric and Allie Davis teamed up to take second in the afternoon prelims of the 800 free relay with time of 7:08.34 that ranked 17th overall. The teams with the top 16 times earned All-America honors. The top 16 teams entering the meet raced in the two heats of the evening finals. Mercer led off the race with a split of 1:46.57, improving on her fourth-fastest 200 free time in program history.
Francesca Marr, Casey Matthews and Sheets represented the Boilers as well at the national championship meet Friday. Marr and Sheets posted Purdue season-best times in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 freestyle, respectively. Marr moved up to third place in program history with a time of 1:00.89 while finishing 31st in the prelims. Sheets took 27th in the prelims of the 200 free with a time of 1:46.00.
Matthews came up one spot shy of advancing to the consolation final of 3-meter diving, taking 17th in the prelims. Matthews closed out her Purdue career Friday night as an NCAA (3-meter, 2013) and Big Ten Champion (1-meter, 2014) as well as a five-time All-American.
Saturday's schedule for Purdue will feature MacKenzie Tweardy in platform diving, Mercer in the 100 free, Marr in the 200 breast and Sheets in the 200 fly. The Boilermakers will also be represented by a quartet of swimmers in the 400 free relay.
Preliminaries begin at noon ET and finals begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Purdue Results & Upcoming Schedule
* -- Purdue Season-Best Time
^ -- Personal Season-Best Time
Friday, March 21
3-Meter Diving
Michelle Cabassol, 370.65^ -- Finished 4th in Championship Final (15 Team Points); All-American
Casey Matthews, 324.40 -- Finished 17th in Prelims
800 Free Relay
Mercer, Sheets, Petric & Davis, 7:08.34 - Finished 2nd in Prelims; 17th Overall
Mercer race-opening 200 Free split of 1:46.57^ (4th Fastest in Program History)
200 Free
Rhiannon Sheets, 1:46.00* -- Finished 27th in Prelims
100 Breast
Francesca Marr, 1:00.89* -- Finished 31st in Prelims; 3rd Fastest in Program History
Saturday, March 22 - 12 p.m. Prelims, 8 p.m. Finals (Times ET)
100 Free - Carly Mercer
200 Breast - Francesca Marr
200 Fly - Rhiannon Sheets
400 Free Relay
Platform Diving - MacKenzie Tweardy