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Texas Remains In First Place After Day 2 At Big 12 Championships

Mar 3, 2001

AUSTIN, Texas - The No. 1-nationally ranked Texas men's swimming team remained in the lead after capturing six of seven events on the second night of the 2001 Big 12 Championships at the Jamail Swim Center. Texas with 806 points are trailed by Texas A&M (442), Nebraska (345), Iowa State (336.5), Missouri (251) and Kansas (173.5).

Senior Jamie Rauch (Houston, Texas) led the Longhorns, defending his Big 12 title in the 200-yard freestyle. Rauch, who had not been able to win against his teammate Chris Kemp (Southlake, Texas), gunned for the wall and touched first with an NCAA automatic time of 1:35.47. Kemp claimed second-place honors with a time of 1:35.99.

"I definitely was hungry to win tonight," said Rauch. "I really wanted to come out strong and defend my title. Chris has been great all year long and we have a friendly rivalry, so I jokingly told him that as a senior, I had to get this one and he would have next year."

Rauch and Kemp teamed up in the 800 freestyle, along with senior Scott Goldblatt (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and sophomore John Suchand (Highland Village, Texas) to claim Texas' fifth consecutive championship in the 800 freestyle relay. They also set a Big 12 record with a time of 6:24.33.

The Longhorns opened Friday's finals with a win in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of junior Tommy Hannan (Baltimore, Md.), freshman Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa.), senior Nate Dusing (Villa Hills, Ky.) and junior Leffie Crawford (Pacifica, Calif.) nearly broke the meet record, posting a time of 1:26.15 and out-distancing Texas A&M's relay team of Riley Janes, Nike Tat, Michael Greene and Michael Colligan (1:26.96).

Missouri ended Texas' winning streak, when Matt Ferrarelli captured the Tiger's first-ever individual conference title in the 400 individual medley (3:47.38). The defending Big 12 Champion, Texas' junior Joey Montague (Houston, Texas) claimed second-place honors with an NCAA automatic time of 3:48.72.

In the third event, freshman Ian Crocker (Portland, Maine) maintained his dominance at the Big 12 Championships, winning his second Big 12 individual title of the meet in the 100 butterfly (46.64). Crocker also won the 50 freestyle on Thursday in a time of 19.70. Dusing (47.44) and Suchland (47.93) claimed second and third-place honors, respectively.

Hansen captured his first individual win of the meet, capturing the 100 breaststroke with an NCAA automatic time of 53.71, while sophomore Ross Binkley (Austin, Texas) finished second (55.38).

In the 100 backstroke, Hannan registered an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 47.23 en route to capturing his third consecutive Big 12 title in the event. Senior Matt Ulrickson, the defending NCAA Champion, finished third in a time of 47.81.

The Big 12 Swimming Championships resumes on Saturday, March 3 with the final day of competition beginning with the prelims at noon and the finals slated for 7 p.m. All prelim events are free, while admission to all final events are $4 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens.