Swimming splits dual meet versus TCU

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by David Gordon

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With just two weeks left until the Southwest Conference Championship, the men's and women's swimming teams are reaching their top form of the season.

In last Saturday's dual meet versus Texas Christian University, the teams set 20 of the season's best times and built some momentum going into the end of the season.

In team competition, the women's team beat the Horned Frogs 115-84. The men's team fell 130-74.

After today's women's meet versus the University of Houston, the team will make two trips to Texas A&M University.

There will be a dual meet between the schools on Feb. 3, and the conference championship meet will be held in College Station on Feb. 15.

The Owls had competed at Texas A&M in October and are hoping that their familiarity with the facility will help them at the conference meet.

"It definitely helps. We get used to the atmosphere, the blocks and the touch pads," freestyler Annie Luikens said.

The top performer for the women's team was Carrie Covington. She won both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle.

Covington also swam the first leg of the first-place 200-yard freestyle relay team. Joining her on the team were Cory Teague, Luikens and Julie Birch.

The team of Hilary Grabe, Robin Davidson, Teague and Birch took first in the 200 medley relay, edging the other Rice entry by just .21 seconds.

Teague claimed another victory in the 50 freestyle.

Ginny Farmer was the top women's finisher in a mixed 1,000 freestyle competition.

Heather Draper was the only swimmer to claim first in an event other than the freestyle.

She took the 200 backstroke by a margin of over five seconds.

Other top performers for the women's team were Farmer (second in the 400 individual medley), Amy Ferranti (second in the 500 freestyle), Luikens (second in the 100 freestyle), Davidson (second in the 50 freestyle) and Kirsten Nagle (second in the 200 breaststroke).

David Henry, Jonathan Armstrong and Steve Quance led the men's team.

Henry took first in the mixed 1,000 freestyle and second in the 500 freestyle.

Armstrong won the 200 individual medley and placed second in the 200 breaststroke.

Quance placed first in the 100 freestyle and second in the 200 freestyle.

Dave Stigant took second in both the 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley.

"TCU does build my confidence and I think the confidence of the team as a whole," Luikens said.

"The women went in expecting to win and the men had a great meet, too. I think we are all primed for swimming really fast at conference."

This item appeared in the Sports section of the January 26, 1996 issue.

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