Relay Teams Come Very Close To School Records

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Wednesday Results

HOUSTON, Texas - On the first day of the 2010 Conference-USA swimming & diving championships, the Northern Colorado team started with two season-best finishes in relay events.

In the 200 yard medley relay, the quartet of Sammy Leonard, Amanda Donegan, Tori Gutt and JJ Smith swam a 1:48.02, shaving over three seconds off their season best time to finish ninth.

The foursome of Cheryl Bready, Dawn Adams, Hannah Halstrom and Gutt would have finished sixth overall in the 800 freestyle relay, but because the Bears are invitational members, their times are not scored with the other members of Conference USA. The team swam a 7:39.67, a season best time by almost 29 seconds. The Bears beat the other two invitational teams in Cal State Bakersfield and North Dakota, as well as Marshall.

"This was a phenomenal night," said Head Coach Kelly McClanahan. "We were only 1.5 seconds off the school record in the 200 medley relay (1:46.54 - 2007) and 1.3 off the record in the 800 freestyle relay (7:38.33 - 2007). I couldn't ask for a better start to the championship. Our confidence levels are up and we're excited and ready to go for the rest of the championship."

The championship continues tomorrow and concludes on Saturday at the CRWC Natatorium on the University of Houston campus. Four-time defending champion SMU is in the early lead after the first day of competition.