Feb. 23, 2008

Final Stats

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy swimming and diving programs advanced a combined 17 swimmers into championship finals and 30 swimmers in all into the evening session of the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championship, Saturday morning at Navy's Lejeune Hall. Tonight's session of finals begins at 6 p.m. and will conclude the three-day event.

The Navy men's team enters tonight holding a 121-point advantage over the rest of the field, while the Navy women's squad is in second place, 44.5 points behind meet-leader Colgate and 32 points in front of third-place Bucknell.

Allison Ranzau, who has been the runner-up in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events at the championship, posted the fastest time in Saturday morning's 200 backstroke trial heats. Her career-best time, and the number seven time in Navy history, of 2:05.04 was the top time in the prelims by six-hundredth of a second over Bucknell's Abby Atkinson. Ranzau will be joined in the championship final by teammate Jennie Spencer, the school record holder in the event, who posted the fifth-best time Saturday morning.

The Navy men's team placed a trio of Mids into the championship final of tonight's 200 backstroke. Danny Mizelle placed second in the trial heats with a time of 1:52.02, while Ryan Ward, who placed third in Friday's 100 backstroke final, posted the fourth-best time in the 200 back Saturday. Rounding out the Navy efforts in the event was 400 individual medley champion Billy Vey who finished sixth.

Thuy-Mi Dinh made Navy history Thursday night as her winning time in the 50 freestyle was a Navy, Patriot League and Patriot League Meet record, as well as the first NCAA Championship A cut performance in school history. She continued her successful meet Saturday morning by breaking the school, league and league meet records in the 100 freestyle with a time of 50.02. Her clocking broke the previous Navy standard of 51.06 and the prior league marks of 50.96.

Dinh was the top qualifier in the trial heats of the 100 free Saturday, with teammates Rachel Gray and Kristin Lowd also advancing to the consolation final tonight.

Three of the top eight finishers in trials of the men's 100 freestyle represent the Naval Academy, with 50 freestyle champion Alex Oldenkamp's career-best time of 45.25 leading the way. Teammate Alex Buck placed second to Oldenkamp in the trial heats with a time of 45.98, while Nathan Durham finished in eighth place with a time of 46.48.

The lone Navy women's swimmer to advance to this evening's session of finals in the 200 breaststroke was Allison Aichele, who placed 10th in the prelims with a season-best time of 2:28.04.

As with the 200 back, the Navy men qualified three swimmers for the championship final of the 200 breaststroke. Pacing the Mids was Nathan LeRoy, who recorded a time of 2:04.29 to finish third in the trial heats. Teammates Andrew Utama (fifth) and Pete Donahue (seventh) will also compete in the A final this evening.

Navy's Kelly Zahalka will have the opportunity to defend her crown in the 200 butterfly tonight as she advanced out of the trial heats and into the championship final with a time of 2:05.96. Her clocking placed Zahalka third this morning and left her behind a pair of Colgate swimmers in Erin McGraw (2:03.93) and Caren Guyett (2:05.27). Joining Zahalka in the final for Navy will be Tessa Snow, who posted the fifth-best time this morning, and Annika Thomas, the No. 8 qualifier in the event.

The last event of the morning saw Navy's Andrew Hetzner record the fastest time of the trial heats in the men's 200 fly with a clocking of 1:51.88. Also advancing to the championship final for Navy was Tedd Torgesen, who placed seventh in the morning session.

Navy's Saturday Night Finalists
200 Backstroke
Women - A Final - Allison Ranzau, first, 2:05.04; Jennie Spencer, fifth, 2:06.83. B Final - Natalie Albertson, 13th, 2:09.92, Jamie Call, 2:10.02.

Men - A Final - Danny Mizelle, second, 1:52.02; Ryan Ward, fourth, 1:52.22; Billy Vey, sixth, 1:53.05. B Final - Kyle Abner, 12th, 1:54.91; David Guthmann, 15th, 1:55.65.

100 Freestyle
Women - A Final - Thuy-Mi Dinh, first, 50.02. B Final - Rachel Gray, 11th, 53.38; Kristin Lowd, 12th, 53.47.

Men - A Final - Alex Oldenkamp, first, 45.25; Alex Buck, second, 45.98; Nathan Durham, eighth, 46.48. B Final - Joe Unruh, 10th, 46.99; Wren Dupre, 13th, 47.29.

200 Breaststroke
Women - B Final - Allison Aichele, 10th, 2:28.04.

Men - A Final - Nathan LeRoy, third, 2:04.29; Andrew Utama, fifth, 2:06.42; Pete Donahue, seventh, 2:09.05.

200 Butterfly
Women - A Final - Kelly Zahalka, third, 2:05.96; Tessa Snow, fifth, 2:08.80; Annika Thomas, eighth, 2:10.81. B Final - Cate Sheerin, 16th, 2:13.28.

Men - A Final - Andrew Hetzner, first, 1:51.88; Tedd Torgesen, seventh, 1:55.87. B Final - Ryan Ward, 16th, 2:01.75.