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Truman State University Athletics

12SwimNCAA

Men's Swimming

Bulldogs Cap Nationals with Four All-American Awards

Championship Site | Men's Qualifiers | Women's Qualifiers

Event Program | Live Results | Live Video | 
 
MANSFIELD, Texas - - The Truman swimming teams saved their biggest performances for the final night of the 2012 NCAA Div. II men's and women's swimming championships, earning a combined four all-American awards. 

Freshman Abby Hempen took home Truman's top finish at the 2012 Championships, earning a 7th-place finish in the 200 Breaststroke with a time of 2:18.27. Also competing in the consolation finals of the 200 Breast, junior Taylor Birsa finished 14th with a 2:20.65 mark.

Junior men's swimmer Jerod Simek secured his second 10th-place finish of the week, finishing the 1650 Freestyle in 15:40.66. He added seven additional team points to complete the week with 14 total.

Then, in the final women's event of the Championships, the Truman 400 Freestyle relay squad - consisting of Casey Jepsen, Jessica Jenkot, Margaux Kent and Hempen - matched its preliminary finish of 14th place with a time of 3:31.46. 

Also competing in Saturday's preliminaries but not advancing to Saturday night's finals were Jepsen in the 100 Free (35th; 52.73), Beth Eyanson in the 200 Back (29th; 2:08.46), and Kent in the 200 Breast (18th; 2:21.13).

The Truman women finished in 24th-place overall as a team, narrowly finishing behind Ouachita (Ark.) Baptist and Clarion.

Friday Recap
Sophomore Margaux Kent earned her first two career all-American awards on Night Three of the 2012 NCAA Div. II men's and women's swimming championships, logging a 10th-place finish in the 100 Breaststroke while also competing on the 16th-place Truman 800 Freestyle team.

After qualifying earlier in the day at 1:04.43 in the 100 Breast, Kent touched the wall even faster in the final, moving up four spots with a time of 1:04.40 to earn seven team points for the Truman women. Then, later in the evening, Kent swam the second leg of the Truman women's 800 Free, as the Bulldogs finished 16th with a time of 7:52.38. Freshman Abby Hempen, sophomore Beth Eyanson and junior Taylor Birsa also added all-American accolades to their 2012 championships.

Earlier in the day, a host of Bulldogs competed in preliminary events, as Casey Jepsen finished 41st in the 500 Free (5:11.21), Jessica Jenkot touched in 26th-place in the 100 Back (58.34) and Eyanson finished four spots back in the same event (58.50). Hempen finished 20th in the 100 Breast (1:04.94) with Jerod Simek added a 20th-place finish of his own in the men's version of the 500 Free.

Thursday Recap
The Truman women's swimming team logged three all-American times on night two of the 2012 NCAA Div. II men's and women's swimming championships.

Taylor Birsa opened the evening with a 15th-place finish in the 400 IM, touching the wall in a time of 4:31.89. It was the first all-American honor for the junior and earned the first two team points of the Championships for the Bulldogs.

Sophomore Casey Jepsen then picked up her second all-American award in as many years in the 200 Free, earning two more team points for the 'Dogs with her 15th-place finish. Jepsen touched in 1:53.30.

Finally, the Bulldog 400 medley relay team consisting of Jessica Jenkot, Abby Hempen, Beth Eyanson and Casey Jepsen finished 13th with a mark of 3:52.08. The Bulldogs edged Incarnate Word by just four-tenths of a second and narrowly fell in behind C.W. Post.

The Bulldog women also competed in the 200 Free Relay (17th) and saw Eyanson pick up a 22nd-place finish in the 100 Fly.

Wednesday Recap
Junior Jerod Simek earned Truman swimming's first All-American honor at the 2012 NCAA Div. II men's and women's swimming championships on Wednesday, picking up a 10th-place finish in the 1000 yard freestyle event with a time of 9:19.75.
 
Simek was seeded ninth in the 1000 Free to land as part of the morning session, finishing fourth amongst the first 17 swimmers to complete the event. However, only six of the evening session's eight finalists beat his time, allowing him to earn his sixth career all-America honor and pick up seven men's team points.
 
Three women's swimmers competed as individuals on day one, with Taylor Birsa (36th; 2:09.21) and Margaux Kent (39th; 2:09.59) swimming the 200 IM and Jessica Jenkot (41st; 24.48) taking part in the 50 Free. The Bulldog women also competed in the 200 Medley Relay, taking 17th with a time of 1:48.96.
 
Event Preview
Seven members of the Truman Swimming teams will compete this week in the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships in Mansfield, Texas. The meet will begin on Wednesday.
 
Junior Jerod Simek returns for the third straight year and will compete in three events. He qualified ninth in the 1000 free with a time of 9:23.26 and is 10th in the 1650 Free with a time of 15:43.28. Simek swam a B-cut time, making his eligible to swim in the 500 free event. His time in that event this season was 4:32.05, which puts him 18th. Simek is a five-time All-American and placed 14th in the 1000 and 15th in the 1650 last season.
 
Junior Taylor Birsa returns to the national meet after a one year hiatus as she qualified 17th in the 200 breaststroke and is eligible for the 200 and 400 individual medley events. Her time in the 200 breast was 2:20.67. She competed in the same three events as a freshman with the best finish being 22nd in the 400 IM.
 
Sophomore Beth Eyanson is in her second NCAA meet as she qualified seventh in the 100 Fly. Eyanson swam 55.77 and will also be competing in the 100 and 200 backstrokes.  Eyanson swam in the 100 Fly and 100 Back last year, placing 20th in the Fly.
 
Freshman Abby Hempen will compete in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes. She qualified 13th in the 100 with a time of 1:04.40 and 11th in the 200 at 2:18.71.
 
Senior Jessica Jenkot is competing in her third national meet. She qualified as a member of the 400 medley relay team and can compete in the 50 Free and 100 back by having B-cut times in those events this season. She has competed in six individual events at nationals in her two previous trips with her best finish being 27th in the 100 breast as a sophomore.
 
Sophomore Casey Jepsen also qualified as a member of the 400 medley relay and will swim in three individual events with B-Cut times. Jepsen will swim in the 100, 200 and 500 free events. Last season, Jepsen earned all-American honors with a fourth place finish in the 200 free.
 
Sophomore Margaux Kent is making her first trip to nationals and will swim in three events during the championships. Kent qualified 16th in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:20.45 and will compete in the 100 breast and 200IM.
 
The 400 medley relay team of Eyanson, Hempen, Jenkot and Jepsen qualified for the national meet with the 10th best time in Division II of 3:50.20. The Bulldogs also will compete in the other four relay events having B-cut times in all.

Schedule by Event
Day Event Name Seed Finish
Wednesday 1000 Free (M) Jerod Simek 9th (9:23.26) F: 10th (9:19.75)
            7 points
200 IM (W) Taylor Birsa 33rd (2:07.67) P: 36th (2:09.21)
Margaux Kent 38th (2:08.33) P: 39th (2:09.59)
50 Free (W) Jessica Jenkot 42nd (24.31) P: 41st (24.48)
200 Medley Relay (W) Truman 19th (1:46.52) P: 17th (1:48.96)
Thursday 200 Free Relay (W) Truman 20th (1:36.91) P: 17th (1:38.25)
400 IM (W) Taylor Birsa 20th (4:29.60) P: 16th (4:30.59)
F: 15th (4:31.89)
            2 points
100 Butterfly (W) Beth Eyanson 7th (55.77) P: 22nd (56.96)
200 Free (W) Casey Jepsen 22nd (1:52.51) P: 10th (1:51.68)
F: 15th (1:53.30)
            2 points 
400 Medley Relay (W) Truman 10th (3:50.20) P: 9th (3:49.96)
F: 10th (3:52.08)
            8 points
Friday 500 Free (M) Jerod Simek 18th (4:32.05) P: 20th (4:34.82)
500 Free (W) Casey Jepsen 34th (5:03.01) P: 41st (5:11.21)
100 Backstroke (W) Beth Eyanson 35th (58.24) P: 30th (58.50)
Jessica Jenkot 40th (58.58) P: 26th (58.34)
100 Breaststroke (W) Abby Hempen 13th (1:04.40) P: 20th (1:04.94)
Margaux Kent 27th (1:05.74) P: 14th (1:04.43)
F: 10th (1:04.40)
            7 points 
800 Free Relay (W) Truman 16th (7:42.04) F: 16th (7:52.38)
            2 points 
Saturday 1650 Free (M) Jerod Simek 10th (15:43.28) F:10th(15:40.66)
             7 points
100 Free (W) Casey Jepsen 29th (52.01) P: 35th (52.73)
200 Backstroke (W) Beth Eyanson 28th (2:06.29) P: 29th (2:08.46)
200 Breaststroke (W) Abby Hempen 11th (2:18.71) P: 6th (2:18.67)
F: 7th (2:18.27)
           12 points
Margaux Kent 16th (2:20.45) P: 18th (2:21.13)
Taylor Birsa 17th (2:20.67) P: 15th (2:20.91)
F: 14th (2:20.65)
             3 points
400 Free Relay (W) Truman 19th (3:32.68) P: 14th (3:32.28)
F: 14th (3:31.46)
             6 points

Schedule by Student-Athlete
Name Day Event Seed Finish
Jerod Simek Wednesday 1000 Free 9th (9:23.26) F: 10th (9:19.75)
            7 points
Friday 500 Free 18th (4:32.05) P: 20th (4:34.82)
Saturday 1650 Free 10th (15:43.28) F:10th(15:40.66)
             7 points
Taylor Birsa Wednesday 200 IM 33rd (2:07.67) P: 36th (2:09.21)
Thursday 400 IM 20th (4:29.60) P: 16th (4:30.59)
F: 15th (4:31.89)
            2 points
Saturday 200 Breaststroke 17th (2:20.67) P: 15th (2:20.91)
F: 14th (2:20.65)
             3 points
Beth Eyanson Thursday 100 Butterfly 7th (55.77) P: 22nd (56.96)
Friday 100 Backstroke 35th (58.24) P: 30th (58.50)
Saturday 200 Backstroke 28th (2:06.29) P: 29th (2:08.46)
Abby Hempen Friday 100 Backstroke 13th (1:04.40) P: 20th (1:04.94)
Saturday 200 Backstroke 11th (2:18.71) P: 6th (2:18.67)
F: 7th (2:18.27)
           12 points
Jessica Jenkot Wednesday 50 Free 42nd (24.31) P: 41st (24.48)
Friday 100 Backstroke 40th (58.58) P: 26th (58.34)
Casey Jepsen Thursday 200 Free 22nd (1:52.51) P: 10th (1:51.68)
F: 15th (1:53.30)
            2 points
Friday 500 Free 34th (5:03.01) P: 41st (5:11.21)
Saturday 100 Free 29th (52.01) P: 35th (52.73)
Margaux Kent Wednesday 200 IM 38th (2:08.33) P: 39th (2:09.59)
Friday 100 Breaststroke 27th (1:05.74) P: 14th (1:04.43)
F: 10th (1:04.40)
            7 points
Saturday 200 Breaststroke 16th (2:20.45) P: 18th (2:21.13)
Relays Wednesday 200 Medley (W) 19th (1:46.52) P: 17th (1:48.96)
Thursday 200 Free (W) 20th (1:36.91) P: 17th (1:38.25)
Thursday 400 Medley (W) 10th (3:50.20) P: 9th (3:49.96)
F: 10th (3:52.08)
            8 points
Friday 800 Free (W) 16th (7:42.04) F: 16th (7:52.38)
            2 points
Saturday 400 Free (W) 19th (3:32.68) P: 14th (3:32.28)
F: 14th (3:31.46)
             6 points
 
 
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