University of Denver
Sun Belt Championships
Amereller Guides Pioneers to Third Consecutive Third Place Finish
2/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Feb. 15, 2003
Little Rock, Ark. - The University of Denver women's swimming and diving team finished third in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Championships in what was a weekend of records. Freshman Michaela Amereller (Munich, Germany) was named tournament MVP with her three wins and two conference records.
"Amereller anchored our team and had three huge wins in her events," said head coach Jim Bain. "Overall the squad earned a solid third place and we are very pleased with the way things went."
Amereller guided the squad from the beginning and cemented her name in the school and conference record books with winning times of 5:01.12 in the 500-yard free on Thursday and 1:50.69 in the 200-yard free on Friday. She also had a hand in Denver's first relay win in championship action when the Pioneers took first in Friday's 800-yard free relay with a time of 7:40.80. On top of everything her time in the 200-yard free made her eligible for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship B-Team.
Today she added the icing to her championship cake by winning the 100-yard free with a time of 51.51 and swimming to a second-consecutive top-two finish with freshmen Lauren Miranda (Louisville, Colo.), Holly Leigh (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and sophomore Katie Eisenhard (Brownsboro, Ala.) in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:31.55).
"We did really great and it was an awesome feeling to win those events to finish third," mentioned Amereller.
Although beginning the season 3-9, the team showed grit and determination by winning their final two meets and earning third in the conference finals. The men will strive for success when they swim in their first National independent Conference Championships on Feb. 26-Mar. 1 (all day).
Sun Belt Conference Championships Final Standings-
Pl. Univ. Score1. Western Kentucky 916.502. New Mexico State 667.503. DENVER 5394. North Texas 4765. UL-Monroe 3906. Arkansas-Little Rock 147
