Tartans Sit Fourth After Day 2 of UAA's

Feb. 22 – (ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – The Tartans women's swimming and diving team had someone reach the finals of all five individual races on the second day of the 2008 University Athletic Association Swimming & Diving Championships and find themselves sitting in fourth place with one day of competition remaining. Four athletes earned seven All-UAA honors with their performances.

The 200-yard freestyle relay of freshman Molly Evans (Butler, Pa.), sophomore Sara Andrews (Washington, Pa./Trinity), freshman Rebecca Ussai (Cleveland, Ohio/Beaumont), and senior Lauren Connell (Hasbrouck Hts., N.J.) placed fourth in a time of 1:49.39 just .23 seconds behind the third place time.

Senior Anna Kochalko (Encinitas, Calif./Univ. of San Diego HS) finished third in the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:39.67 while freshman Marianna Sofman (Allen, Texas/Plano East) reached the consolation finals and finished seventh with a career-best time of 4:59.47.

Ussai swam in the finals of the 100-yard butterfly and finished seventh for the Tartans. Freshman Lauren Gumbel (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) and senior Sarah Lam (Huntington, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor) finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the consolation finals of the same butterfly event.

Connell finished her third place showing in the 50-yard freestyle with a sixth place finish in the 200-yard freestyle on Friday and Andrews and Evans both earned All-UAA distinction with their finishes. Andrews was in the finals of the 100-yard breaststroke and finished third with a career-best time of 1:07.86. Evans finished second in the 100-yard backstroke after touching the wall in a career-best time of 58.48.

Andrews, Evans, junior Allison Retotar (Gillette, N.J./Watchung Hills) and Kochalko finished the meet strong for the Tartans with a third place showing in the 800-yard freestyle relay earning All-UAA and a possible spot in the NCAA Championships with a mark of 7:50.32.