Kansas Swimming and Diving Falls to Missouri

Oct. 30, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Despite a record-breaking time by junior Iuliia Kuzhil and a first-place finish by senior diver Meg Proehl, the University of Kansas Swimming and Diving team (0-3 in dual meets) lost to Missouri 119-176 Friday in Robinson Natatorium.

“It was rough today, Missouri is very good,” Kansas Head Coach Clark Campbell said. “We’re not very good right now. We need to put our nose to the grindstone and get better.”

Kuzhil, a junior from Cherkasy, Ukraine, won the 100-yard backstroke (55.61) and broke the Robinson Natatorium pool record for that event, which previously stood at 55.87. It also met the NCAA ‘B’ qualifying standard for that event.

Kuzhil also participated in the 400-yard relay event, where the team of Kuzhil, freshman Monica Johannessen, senior Emily Lanteigne and junior Amanda Maez placed first with a time of 3:30.49.

Proehl, a senior from San Diego, Calif. captured first place in the one-meter dive with a total score of 273.90, which met NCAA qualifying standards. She also placed second in the three meter dive with a score of 241.80.

Other notable scorers included freshman Rebecca Swank, who placed second in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:22.85) and third in the 500-yard freestyle (5:03.77), and Maez, who captured second in both the 50-yard freestyle (24.08) and the 100-yard freestyle (52.75).

“As a team, we have a very long way to go,” Campbell said. “We know we can only go up from here, but it will be a long process and we have to honor that process.”

The Jayhawks will return to the pool Saturday vs. Nebraska-Omaha in Robinson Natatorium. The meet is set to begin at 12 p.m.