Feb. 22, 2009

 Complete Results

Individual Results

BOCA RATON, FL- The Florida Atlantic University swim and dive team has completed competition at the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Championships held in Nashville, Tennessee. The women finished fourth and the men fifth.

Senior Lauren Harvath was named the Women's Most Outstanding Diver of the meet. Harvath won her first conference crown in the three meter dive on Friday and finished second in the one-meter dive competition on Saturday. Teammate Stephanie Goodman was sixth in the one-meter event. First year coach Michelle Sandelin was named the Sun Belt Conference Women's Diving Coach of the Year.

Saturday's competition was chalked full of great performances. Jennifer Forcht, another senior, broke a 17 year old school record in the 200 yard butterfly by swimming 2:02.74 in the preliminary round. She finished sixth in the championship round. Stase Michota knocked 20 seconds off her seasonal best in the 1,650 yard freestyle relay, touching the pad in 17:05.92. The 200 yard breaststroke was a strong event for FAU with Ewa Jamborska (3rd, 2:18.77), Whitney Roper (7th, 2:20.72) and Kalina Neal (9th, 2:21.14) all swimming their best times of the year. The 400 yard freestyle relay concluded the meet for the women and Forcht, Jonna Nyback, Julie Carmigniani and Stephanie DeRito were fifth in a seven second-seasonal best 3:27.87.

Sophomore Michael Shimansky started the day off for the men by crushing his seasonal best by 33 seconds and setting a school record in the 1,650 yard freestyle. Shimansky's time of 15:30 placed him third and broke the 12 year old school record by four seconds. Other notable performances include Csaba Pek's 200 yard backstroke (1:48.07) and Miklolaj Czarnecki's 200 yard butterfly (1:47.52). In the 400 yard freestyle relay Czarnecki, Pek, Tyler Griffith and Evan Boley swam 3:04.86.

Friday's Highlights
Jonna Nyback was just one second out of first place in the 200 yard freestyle, capturing second place in 1:49.12. Nicole Samilo swam her fastest race of the year by seven seconds in the 400 yard IM, recording a time of 4:29.66. Ewa Jamborska was seventh in the 100 yard breaststroke in 1:05.44. Seniors Kalina Neal (5th, 100 yard breaststroke, 1:04.72), Lindsey Alexander (8th, 100 yard backstroke) 57.32 and Jennifer Forcht (7th, 100 yard butterfly, 56.17) swam seasonal bests.

Csaba Pek finished third in the 400 yard IM in 3:53.24. Pek has already provisionally qualified for NCAA Championships in the event. Mikolaj Czarnecki was eighth in the 100 yard butterfly (49.23).

Final Women's Team Scores
1. Western Kentucky University- 851 Points
2. University of Denver- 766 Points
3. North Texas University- 592 Points
4. Florida Atlantic University- 451 Points
5. University of New Orleans- 364 Points
6. Florida International University- 210 Points
7. University of Arkansas- Little Rock- 125 Points

Final Men's Team Scores
1. University of Denver- 1226 Points
2. Missouri State University- 1172.5 Points
3. Western Kentucky University- 1064.5 Points
4. Eastern Michigan University*- 1046.5 Points
5. Southern Illinois University*- 734 Points
6. University of Buffalo*- 639.5 Points
7. Miami University (Ohio)*- 639.5 Points
8. University of New Orleans- 552.5 Points
9. Florida Atlantic University- 446.5 Points
10. Ball State University*- 267 Points
11. University of Evansville*- 207 Points
*Member of the Mid-American Conference