Another day another record for Kastes Siow

Jump to Day 3 results.

AUBURN, Ala. – As they have done throughout their short careers with the No. 18 University of Arkansas swimming and diving squad, sophomore Katie Kastes and junior Yi Ting Siow each broke a record during day three of the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships as the Razorbacks (10-1, 3-1) moved up from seventh to sixth place on Friday.“We’re very pleased with some of our swims today,” head Razorback coach Jeff Poppell said. “We’re excited to be headed into the last day of the meet, typically our strongest day, in sixth place and closing in on fifth.”

Kastes, who set five school records during her freshman campaign in 2007-08, set a record time 4:12.30 in the prelims of the 400 individual medley. Her times in the prelims and the finals (4:12.73) are both NCAA ‘B’ cut times. Kastes finished in fourth place in the 400 IM finals, her best finish of this season’s SECs.

Jamie Marks swam in the finals of the 400 IM along with Kastes, setting a personal best time of 4:12.51, more than three seconds faster than her previous best time of 4:16.34.

“Jamie and Katie’s performances today in the 400 IM were phenomenal,” Poppell said. “Both girls set personal and school records, and have put themselves in a position to qualify for the NCAA Championships.”

In only her second month competing on the team, Siow broke her own record on Friday, in the 100 breast prelims. Siow’s time of 1:01.11 is an NCAA ‘B’ cut time and secured her place in the finals where she placed seventh in a time of 1:01.17, another ‘B’ cut time.

Senior Summer Jackson qualified for the finals of the 100 breast and finished with a time of 1:03.59, in 16th place. Jackson set a career-high time of 1:01.94 in the prelims of the event on Friday morning.

“Summer and Yi Ting were another pair who did very well today,” Poppell said. “Their morning swims were strong enough to get them to the finals and, of course, Yi Ting broke her own school record during the prelims of the event.”

The Razorbacks set 13 personal best times overall on Friday, most of the times coming in the preliminary races in the morning session. Moving on to the finals with the four swimmers was senior diver Madison Palmer who qualified for the evening finals session on the 10-meter platform, the first time Palmer has qualified for the finals of the tower event.

Palmer finished the finals in seventh place with a score of 245.40, once again scoring important points for her team as it makes a run at a fifth place finish.

Also contributing to Arkansas’ score for the day were Liana Bugslag (237.90) and Kellyn Williams (203.65) who finished 10th and 14th, respectively.

“The divers were fantastic today,” Poppell said. “The three girls who scored for us really added valuable points to our score as we finish the diving events and head into the last day in the pool.”

Saturday is the final day of the SEC championship meet and the Razorbacks will aim to finish strong, looking to move up one more spot to finish in fifth place, two spots better than last season’s seventh place finish.

For updated coverage from the SEC Championship and for complete coverage of Razorback swimming and diving, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.