ATLANTA - The Mizzou women's swimming and diving team notched four top-eight finishes to highlight day three action Friday at the 2016 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta, Ga. Junior Katharine Ross, redshirt senior Abby Duncan and junior Nadine Laemmler all earned their first career All-America first team honors on Friday, while the 200 medley relay also notched a top-eight finish.
With one day remaining at the Championships, Mizzou is tied for ninth with 106 points. The team's best-ever finish is 14th, recorded in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Ross and Duncan became the first pair of Tiger teammates to earn first team honors in the same event at the same NCAA Championships in program history, with finishes of fourth and fifth, respectively. Ross, who broke her own school record with a 58.15 in prelims, improved on her 2014 and 2015 placements of 11th and 14th, while Duncan placed 13th a season ago and as a freshman in 2012 at Auburn.
Laemmler earned a seventh-place finish in the 100 back after entering the meet seeded 22nd in the event. She lowered her own program record with a 51.14 in prelims and touched the wall in 51.82 in finals for her first career individual All-America first team honor. Additionally, sophomore Hannah Stevens claimed All-America honorable mention honors in the event after placing 14th overall to match her finish from a season ago.
Mizzou closed the night with an eighth-place finish in the 200 medley relay. The quartet of Laemmler, Duncan, freshman Maddie Gehrke and senior Anna Patterson swam a 1:36.82, just off their prelims school record time of 1:36.40.
In the 400 IM, sophomore Sharli Brady narrowly missed a spot in the consolation final after finishing 17th in prelims in a season-best time of 4:09.54. Additionally, Patterson placed 25th in the 100 fly (52.74) and sophomore Kira Zubar finished 61st in the 200 free (1:49.67).
Mizzou concludes action at the Championships with day four competition on Saturday, with prelims at 9 a.m. CT and finals at 5 p.m. CT.
2016 NCAA Championships Day Three Results
400 IM
17. Sharli Brady (4:09.54)
100 Fly
25. Anna Patterson (52.74)
200 Free
61. Kira Zubar (1:49.67)
100 Breast
4. Katharine Ross (58.22 finals, 58.15 prelims)
5. Abby Duncan (58.50 finals, 58.41 prelims)
100 Back
7. Nadine Laemmler (51.82 finals, 51.14 prelims)
14. Hannah Stevens (51.60 finals, 51.89 prelims)
200 Medley Relay
8. Laemmler, Duncan, Gehrke, Patterson (1:36.82 finals, 1:36.40 prelims)
-MIZZOU-
