Duke Ends Regular Season With Loss To Clemson

Saturday, February 4

Durham, N.C.

1 p.m.

Duke University

132

144

Clemson

Duke Opens 2005-06 Season Saturday In Double Dual Meet Action

Duke Ends Regular Season With Loss To Clemson

2/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. -- In the final meet of the 2005-06 season, the Duke swimming and diving team fell to Clemson Saturday. The Tigers topped the Duke women (5-6, 1-5 ACC), 153.5-129.5 and the men (3-6, 1-4), 144-132, in the Duke seniors' last meet in the Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion.

“For the last dual meet of the season and it being senior day, I thought we performed well,” said head coach Dan Colella. “We had some people starting to come together and really look sharp, and I have a good feeling going into the ACC's. It was a great day of performances, and we are on the right track to have great performances in a couple of weeks.”

Senior Katie Ness earned a trio of wins, easily taking the 100 backstroke, 200 IM and 200 backstroke with a margin of over three seconds in each between her and the No. 2 finisher. Ness, who notched season bests in two events last week, topped her 2005-06 time in the 100 backstroke with a 56.65 and swam her best dual-meet race of the season in the 200 IM (2:05.01).

Fellow senior Julia Lewis had her best meet of the season, earning her highest times of the year in the 50 and 100 free. Lewis swam a close second in the 50 freestyle, touching in 24.32, .05 seconds behind Lauren Sindall of Clemson, and followed with a winning 53.23 in the 100 freestyle.

In the men's competition, sophomore Scott Champagne set two career-bests on his way to a win in the 200 freestyle (1:45.68) and a fifth-place performance in the 100 backstroke (54.23). Sophomore Jacob McCafferty, senior Billy Pearce and junior Kevin Arthofer were also event-winners for the Blue Devils. McCafferty's 1:57.49 won the 200 IM, while Pearce swam a 1:55.08 for first in the 200 backstroke, and Arthofer took the 200 breaststroke title in 2:08.95.

In addition to Champagne, six Blue Devils registered personal bests Saturday: freshman Emily Kelly in the 100 butterfly (58.36), freshman Justin Mullen in the 200 freestyle (1:50.78) and 100 freestyle (51.65), freshman Katie Bieze in the 200 IM (2:12.97), sophomore Diana Westly in the one-meter dive (222.35) and senior Stephanie Taylor in the 50 freestyle (26.59). Freshman Luke Waggoner, who entered the Duke lineup three meets ago, saw his best marks in the one- (176.55) and three-meter (182.95) dives. Kelly finished second in both the 200 butterfly and 200 freestyle, narrowly being touched out by Clemson's Nikki Deering (58.24) in the butterfly.

Earning season-best times besides Ness and Lewis were sophomore Anna Rogers in the 100 backstroke (1:00.76), junior Michelle Aristeo in the 100 backstroke (1:01.09) and 500 freestyle (5:12.30), sophomore Matt Rinehart in the 200 IM (1:59.5) and Arthofer in the same event (1:57.85), sophomore Danielle Spearman in the 100 freestyle (53.50) and junior Jay Ashenfelter in the 200 breaststroke (2:22.45).

After concluding their regular season, the Blue Devils can now set their sights on the ACC Championships. The women will travel to the University of Maryland for their event, Feb. 15-18, and the men will follow a week later -- Feb. 22-25.

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