Duke Moves Up A Spot, Finishes Seventh In Conference

Saturday, February 28

College Park, Md.

All Day

Duke University

Day Four

Duke Moves Up A Spot, Finishes Seventh In Conference

2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving

By: Duke Sports Information

COLLEGE PARK, Md. ? The Duke men's swimming & diving team wrapped up competition at the 2009 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships Saturday night at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center with seven more school records ? for a total of 18 on the weekend ? as the Blue Devils moved up a spot to take 7th of 11 teams at the conference meet. The finish was a two-spot improvement from last season's ninth-place showing, and was indicative of the great strides the program has made all throughout the 2008-09 season.

“This was awesome ? our goal was to finally start mixing it up within the conference, and it's just been a really great year,” said head coach Dan Colella. “Our seniors provided us with a lot of leadership, and to see the things they've achieved has just made us so proud. For the relay to break the school record at the end of the night and get us into seventh place was absolutely the icing on the cake. We're real proud of what the men did this year and this weekend.”

To start off day four, Andrew Clark just missed the school record in the 1650 free ? off by just over a second ? as he took 20th in the mile-long swim. Next up was the 200 backstroke, where Spencer Booth continued a solid weekend with the school record in the event, as he clocked a 1:44.40 in this morning's prelims followed by a 1:45.08 to take sixth place in tonight's finals. Teammates Alex Kluge and David Hahn also broke the standing record this morning in prelims with their times of 1:47.92 and 1:47.81, respectively.

In the 100 freestyle, Nick Garvy broke the record in prelims with a 44.11, which he followed up with a 44.22 in the finals to take 12th in the ACC. Pieter Den Hartog broke the old record during prelims as well, with his time of 44.67.

The 200 butterfly saw Eric Ness break the Duke record this morning in 1:49.30 as he then came back in 1:49.41 tonight.

Finally, the Duke 400 free relay team of Booth, Den Hartog, Ryan Packer, and Garvy took sixth in a record time of 2:57.46. The win moved Duke past Maryland to end with a team score of 207 for a seventh-place overall finish for the meet.

In the Terrapin Cup event that was going on this evening as well, the Blue Devil women made some history as well, as Meredith Bannon broke the Duke record in the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.93 and Shannon Beall broke the 100 fly record in 53.25.

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