Gophers Earn All-America Honors in Three Events; Rank 14th in First Day of NCAA Championships - GOPHERSPORTS.COM - The Official Athletic Site of the Minnesota Gophers

Gophers Earn All-America Honors in Three Events; Rank 14th in First Day of NCAA Championships
The University of Minnesota women's swimming and diving team finished with 21 points and is in 14th place overall after the first day of the 2007 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University Aquatic Center on the University of Min

The University of Minnesota women's swimming and diving team finished with 21 points and is in 14th place overall after the first day of the 2007 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus. The Golden Gophers competed in three finals tonight, earning All-America status in each event.

The Gophers' 200 free relay broke its previous record in the consolation final with a time of 1:30.40. The Golden Gophers broke the previous school record in the preliminary heats when they touched the wall in a time of 1:30.56. The foursome of Stacy Busack, Jenny Hasling, Meredith McCarthy and Roxane Akradi placed 12th and earned 10 points with their new school record. Arizona set an NCAA and American record with a time of 1:27.23 to win the event.

Yuen Kobyashi earned her fifth All-America honor when she placed 12th in the 500 freestyle. Kobayashi clocked a season-best time of 4:43.97 and earned the Gophers five team points. Kobayashi placed 10th at the NCAAs last year for her first All-America honor. As a freshman, she earned four All-America honors. She bettered her prelim time of 4:44.55 and was the top finisher from the Big Ten.

Jenny Shaughnessy placed 11th in the 200 individual medley and earned her first individual All-America honor. Shaughnessy set a school record in the preliminary heats when she clocked a time of 1:58.98. She bettered her time in the finals with a time of 1:58.96. Prior to her career-best time at the NCAA Championships, Shaughnessy's previous career best was 2:00.60, set at the 2006 Big Ten Championships. Her record broke Katy Christoferson's 2001 school record of 2:00.22. Shaughnessy was an All-America honorable mention selection in the 400 and 800 free relays last year.

Minnesota will be represented in five events tomorrow. The Gophers will have two relay teams competing in the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay. Minnesota will also compete in the 400 IM (Shaughnessy), the 200 free (Christine Jennings, Kobayashi and McCarthy) and the 100 back (Akradi and Deidre DeWall)