Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Big Ten Championships
'Cats Finish Seventh at Big Ten Championships
2/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 22, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Vicky West (Redlands, Calif./Redlands) placed fifth in the 1650 freestyle as the Northwestern women's swimming and diving team finished in seventh place at the Big Ten Championships hosted by Purdue University. The Wildcats recorded 265 team points. Indiana won the team title, amassing 595 points, 34 ahead of runner-up Wisconsin.
West finished the 1650 free in a season-best time of 16:35.10, improving her NCAA "B" cut mark. She shaved over 17 seconds off her previous top time of the season. Erica Rose (Cleveland, Ohio/Hawken School) contributed a ninth-place finish in the event, touching in at 16:48.80.
Carmen Cosgrove (Perth, Western Australia) was the only other NU swimmer to reach the finals of a swimming event Saturday. After entering the meet ranked first in the 200 butterfly, Cosgrove slipped to an eighth-place finish, recording a time of 2:03.76.
Christy Olin (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) also competed for the 'Cats in the 200 fly. The sophomore posted a season-best time of 2:04.43 to place 15th.
Northwestern also had two swimmers score points in the 200 breaststroke. Katie Simmons (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) finished in 12th place in a time of 2:18.27. Teammate Brielle Bovee (Winter Park, Fla./Lake Highland Prep) finished immediately behind Simmons, placing 13th in 2:18.59.
Katie Paglini (Chicago, Ill./Latin School) entered the meet ranked third in the Big Ten in the 200 backstroke, but missed out on reaching the championship finals. However, the freshman finished first in the consolation finals in a time of 2:00.75 to place ninth overall.
Erin Swenson (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) added an 11th-place finish in the 100 free. The junior touched in at 51.08 to earn a "B" cut.
Diver Ashley Carter (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) enjoyed a productive day in the platform diving competition. The sophomore reached the championship round and finished seventh overall with a score of 348.45 in the finals.
NU's final points of the competition came from the 400 free relay squad of Paige Nath (Wichita, Kan./Trinity Academy), Swenson, Sara Petric (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) and Cosgrove. The quartet posted a season-best, "B" cut time of 3:24.86 to place eighth.
The Wildcats will compete in a last chance meet next weekend at a site to be determined, in an attempt to gain or improve qualifying standards for the NCAA Championships.
