BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Senior diver
Monica Houck clinched an NCAA Zone Diving berth Friday evening as the Omaha swimming & diving team fell 130-113 to South Dakota State at the Stanley J. Marshall Center Pool.
Houck, a native of South Lyon, Mich., made the NCAA cut in the 3-meter event with a second-place score of 284.03. She is the second Maverick in the Division I era to earn a postseason bid and will compete alongside teammate
Andrea Brosnahan at the NCAA Zone D meet, March 5-7, in Minneapolis, Minn.
"Monica did a fantastic job of putting everything together tonight and really excels on that 3-meter board," head coach
Todd Samland said. "She's been creeping up on the NCAA standard all season. With her and Andrea both heading to Zones, it's an awesome experience to go not just by yourself but as a team. We're very proud of how all our divers are progressing and competing right now."
Brosnahan won the 1-meter event with a mark of 267.38, which bested her previous NCAA qualifying score from last week, and also took third in the 3-meter dive (275.11). Junior
Annika Clinton placed third in the 1-meter dive (258.75).
Senior
Olivia McLain won the 200 fly (2:09.05) event with a career-best time, followed by classmate
Samantha Starke in third (2:09.76).
Freshman
Naeleah Hadford won another event, leading the pack in the 50 free with a time of 24.22. Junior
Kirsten Kracke followed in third (25.02).
Junior
Kylie Vermeire had a pair of runner-up showings in the 1000 free (10:41.37) and 500 free (5:13.79), as did sophomore
Rachel Morrow in the 200 free (1:55.69) and 100 free (53.58). Senior
Cassandra Jahn also came in third in the 200 free (1:57.94).
In the 200 breast race, freshman
Rebecca Martini took second in (2:29.16), followed by senior
Tiril Jensen in third (2:29.91).
Senior
Hilary Schieffer added a third-place performance in the 200 back (2:11.34), and sophomore
Brook Landt was third in the 100 IM (1:01.72).
Hadford, McLain, Morrow and Kracke combined forces to win the 400 free relay (3:34.94), while the B team of Jahn, Vermeire, sophomore
Anna Capoun and junior
Kylene Abraham were third (3:37.76).
The Mavericks also went two-three in the 200 medley relay, with McLain, Jensen, senior
Kendra Lair and junior
Madison Ewald finishing second (1:49.39) and Landt, Starke, Capoun and junior
Grete Baker in third (1:50.90).
"We swam well, but South Dakota State just swam a little better," Samland said. "There were three races that were touch-outs and could've gone either way, and it was a tight battle.
"I was happy with our depth last night though. It was very much a team effort, and our depth kept us in this meet."
Omaha returns to action on Friday, Jan. 26 for its home finale, hosting Western Illinois at 6 p.m. at HPER Pool. The meet marks Senior Night for the Mavericks' 13-member senior class.
