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Auburn Women Claim Win Over Northwestern and Tennessee

Jan 13, 2002

AUBURN, Ala. ? The No. 3 Auburn women's swimming and diving team improved its record to 6-0 this season defeating both No. 16 Northwestern, 186-159, and Tennessee, 207-138, Saturday in a double-dual meet at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center.

The double-dual meet was divided into a morning and an evening session with all three teams swimming both sessions together. The scores were then split to into three dual meets including Auburn vs. Tennessee, Auburn vs. Northwestern and Tennessee vs. Northwestern.

Auburn started off the morning session with a win in the 400-yard medley relay including a season-high time of 3:43.91 with the team of Kirsty Coventry, Laura Swander, Margaret Hoelzer and Eileen Coparropa.

In the 500 free, sophomore Magda Dyszkiewicz captured first place in 4:54.09 while Demerae Christianson took fourth with a time of 5:04.93.

Maggie Bowen continued to dominate the individual medley event taking first in the 400 IM (4:19.84). Cassidy Maxwell earned her best time of the season in the 400 IM with a 4:25.18 and a third place finish.

The Auburn women took first and second in the 100 free with Coparropa in first at 50.87 and Heather Kemp finishing second in 51.29.

Freshman Kelly Jones was the top finisher in the 200 breaststroke (2:18.48) with a first place time of 2:18.48 while Christianson followed up with a first place in the 100 fly (55.57).

The Tigers claimed top honors in the first nine swimming events including Hoelzer in the 200 back (2:01.21), the Auburn 200 free relay team (Maxwell, Coventry, Short, Coparropa) and the AU 200 medley relay team of Hoelzer, Swander, Christianson and Coparropa.

In the 200 free, Kemp captured first in 1:49.12 while Hoelzer finished third with a time of 1:52.42 for the Tigers. Swander took a commanding lead in the 100 breast and went on to win the event with a time of 1:02.46 and Kelly Jones finished third with a time of 1:04.53.

Short swam to a first place finish in the 50 free (23.33) and sophomore Brittany King pulled out a fourth place overall with the time of 24.53. Auburn also took the next races with Coventry winning the 100 back (56.14), Kemp finishing first in the 1650 free (16:45.99), Coventry followed with a 200 IM win (2:04.00) and the 400 free relay team of Short, Coparropa, Kemp and Dyszkiewicz took first in 3:23.95.

"The best thing we did tonight was that we raced," associate head women's coach Kim Brackin said. "We finished well and that was one of our goals so I am happy.

"Heather Kemp was our swimmer of the meet. She had a good, controlled race in the 1650 and was all-around very consistent. Kirsty Coventry had a solid first and second session and is really starting to come around. Her learning curve is developing."

The dual meets bring Auburn's record to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference. The Auburn women will again be in action Jan. 25 when they travel to Florida to take on the Gators in an SEC dual meet.