Badgers Travel to Texas
December 02, 2004 | Men's Swimming & Diving
The Wisconsin men's and women's swimming and diving teams will head to Austin, Texas Thursday for the three-day Texas Invite. Competition takes place Thursday, Dec. 3 through Saturday, Dec. 5.
The No. 20-ranked men took third two weekends ago at the Minnesota Invite with a total score of 522 points. The men were led by Adam Mania (Hickman, Neb.), who won the 200-yard backstroke preliminary (1:48.06), and Eric Wiesner (Montrose, Colo.), who won the 100-yard freestyle (44.82). Freshman diver Justin Bonner (Ridley Park, Pa.) took 10th on the platform board with a score of 243.75.
The women, ranked No. 10, ended up in second place with a team score of 880, finishing behind host Minnesota. The team was led by senior co-captain Carly Piper (Grosse Point Woods, Mich.), who won the 1650-yard freestyle (16:37.26). In the 200-yard backstroke, the Wisconsin women took first, second and third. Susan Johnson (Toledo, Ohio), Anna Trinidad (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Andrea Wiesner (Montrose, Colo.) swept the podium with times of 2:00.46, 2:01.05 and 2:06.35, respectively. Diver Amanda Witte (LaGrange, Ill.) took eighth on the platform board with a score of 303.75.
Last year Piper finished with three NCAA 'A' qualifying scores. Piper's effort in the 100 free headed a strong UW performance in the event as four Badgers earned 'B' cuts. Sarah Hernandez (Chico, Calif.) (50.03) and Shannon Van Curen (Brentwood, Tenn.) (50.77) also surpassed the provisional mark. Hernandez's time came on the lead-off leg for the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which also finished in a 'B' time of 3:19.45.
On the men's side, Mania shattered his previous mark in the 200 back by nearly a second with a time of 1:44.58 to earn a 'B' cut. He also surpassed the provisional standard in the 100 free (44.30) as the lead-off leg on the 400 free relay squad that also earned a 'B' mark (2:55.66).
The men's teams competing in this year invite will be: No. 2 Southern California, No. 4 California, No. 7 Arizona, No. 8 Texas, No. 9 Michigan, No. 18 Hawaii, No. 20 Wisconsin, Arizona State and Texas Christian.
The women's teams competing will be; No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Arizona, No. 8 California, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 12 Southern California, No. 18 Arizona State, No. 19 Hawaii, Texas Christian and Nebraska.
