Feb. 17, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. – The Vanderbilt swimming team started off the 2010 SEC Championships on a positive note as they nearly set school records in the two relay events that they swam in during the first day of the SEC Championships at the Gabrielsen Natatorium.
“I thought the first night of SEC Championships went very well,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “Both relays had great swims and it was a great beginning to what we hope is a fast weekend for Vanderbilt. Everyone is excited to compete tomorrow.”
Vanderbilt’s 200-yard medley relay team of Rose Cornelson, Sarah Lynch, Jess Eccher and Jennifer Molchan opened the conference meet with a bang by clocking a season-best time of 1:46.51. VU’s time Wednesday was over three seconds faster than their previous season-best mark (1:49.74) and was .20 seconds off the school record.
“Rose got the 200-medley team off to a great start by swimming a very strong opening leg,” Organ said.
A few events later, the Commodore 800-yard freestyle relay team of Eccher, Ellen Kilgore, Erika Deardorf and Amy Salce clocked the fastest time (7:36.26) by a VU relay team since 1989. The 800-free relay recorded by the all-freshmen squad on Wednesday was only five-hundredths of a second off the school record (7:36.21, 1989) and was over 11 seconds faster than any time recorded by a VU 800-free relay team this year.
“It was our goal to break team records in both relays tonight and we came up just short of accomplishing that,” Organ said. “I thought Amy Salce swam a terrific split to close out the 800-free relay.”
Through six events, the ‘Dores currently stand in tenth place in the women’s team standings.
The Vanderbilt Commodores will return to the Gabrielsen Natatorium pool tomorrow morning for the second day of the 2010 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Vanderbilt Results
200-yard medley relay – 10. VU (Rose Cornelson, Sarah Lynch, Jess Eccher, Jennifer Molchan), 1:46.51*
800-yard freestyle relay – 10. VU (Jess Eccher, Ellen Kilgore, Erika Deardorf, Amy Salce), 7:36.26
* – denotes season high
