UW-L Places Sixth at Falcon Invitational; Hoff Wins Event

For Immediate Release: Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008

Minneapolis, Minn. - The UW-La Crosse women's swimming & diving team placed sixth at the UW-River Falls Falcon Invitational Saturday at the University of Minnesota's Aquatic Center. The Eagles, who competed in the Invite's White Division, finished with 276 team points. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee took the team title with 872 points while the University of North Dakota was second with 842. The University of Minnesota placed third (578) followed by the University of South Dakota (477), Minnesota State University, Mankato (446), UW-La Crosse, St. Cloud State University, Minn. (66) and Coe College, Iowa (8).

The Eagles' Chelsea Hoff captured the 200 backstroke (2:06.56) while finishing fifth in the 50 freestyle (24.25) and 100 backstroke (59.60). She set a school record in winning the 200 backstroke.

UW-L's Anita Talavera was fourth in the 200 butterfly (2:15.59) and 10th in the 1,650 freestyle (18:30.71). Kacie O'Brien placed sixth in the 200 breaststroke (2:28.36) and 16th in the 200 I.M. ( 2:16.77).

Other top individual finishers included Jennifer Bryson ninth in the 100 backstroke (1:01.36) and Elizabeth Werner ninth in the 200 breaststroke (2:30.59). Bryson was also 10th in the 400 I.M. (4:52.29) and 13th in the 1,650 freestyle (18:50.04).

In the 200 butterfly, Jennifer Kolmos was 12th (2:26.70), Danielle Gray 14th (2:31.00), Caryn Herrick 15th (2:31.33) and Sarah Albertson 16th (2:38.09). Gray was 14th in the 100 butterfly (1:03.97) and Colleen Tierney 15th (1:04.34).

Katelyn Hartung was 12th (54.48) and Brianna Peyer 16th (56.09) in the 100 freestyle while Maria Krisch finished 13th (4:58.03) and Herrick 15th (5:09.94) in the 400 I.M. Peyer was also 12th in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.29) and 14th in 50 freestyle (25.49). Krisch was also 14th in the 100 backstroke (1:06.47).

In diving, Samantha Koch placed 16th in the 3-meter competition (193.70 points) and 18th in the 1-meter (194.15) while Kelly Schippers was 23rd in 3-meter (170.10) and 1-meter (160.05). Shannon Doyle finished 26th in both events, scoring 158.65 in the 3-meter and 147.25 in the 1-meter.

In relay events, UW-L recorded two fifth-place finishes. Hoff, Peyer, Hartung and Danielle Rux were fifth in the 400 freestyle relay (3:37.82) while Hoff, Peyer, Clare Hathaway and Hartung were fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:39.79). The Eagles' 400 medley relay of Hoff, Peyer, Hartung and Hathaway finished seventh (4:05.29).

UW-L returns to action Saturday, Jan. 17 hosting UW-Eau Claire at 1 p.m.