Kastes breaks two school records at Hoosierland Open

BLOOMINGTON, IND. – University of Arkansas freshman swimmer Katie Kastes broke the school records in both the 400 individual medley and the 100 butterfly Friday at the Hoosierland Open Invitational in Bloomington, Ind.

Kastes’ 400 IM time of 4:20.70 was over 13 seconds better than her career best, almost three seconds faster than the previous Arkansas record held by Candace Little (4:23.67) in 2003 and was an NCAA ‘B’ cut time. Kastes also set a record in the 100 fly with a personal best 55.05, beating senior Emily Gregory’s record of 55.20 set in 2005. Gregory also bettered her record with a time of 55.18. Both 100-fly times were also ‘B’ cuts.

“We had a great, great night tonight,” said head coach Jeff Poppell. “It was an up and down morning and we came out a little flat, but we came back in the finals at night and swam lights out.”

The Lady Razorbacks started the day with a sixth-place finish in the 200 medley relay. Sophomore Lynette Ng, junior Summer Jackson, Gregory and Kastes turned in a season-best time of 1:44.36.

Kastes finished third in the 400 IM and was followed by freshman Erica Totten who touched in 12th with a personal-best 4:29.01. Freshman Brittany Kimmitt was close behind placing 14th with a 4:32.26.

In the 100 fly Gregory earned a sixth-place finish and Kastes touched in 11th.

Junior Stephanie Carr and freshman Megan Haskins both turned in career-best times in the 200 freestyle. Carr’s time of 1:52.01 came in the finals, while Haskins’ was a prelim time of 1:53.96. Totten (1:54.44), junior Macey Webb (1:55.24) and freshman Ashley Largo (1:56.06) were the next best Lady’Back swimmers. Webb and Largo’s times were individual bests.

Jackson paced Arkansas in the 100 breast, finishing ninth with a career-best time of 1:04.48. Senior Katie McGraw (1:06.38) and freshman Erin Neumann (1:06.13) touched in with season-best and career-best times, respectively.

Junior Madison Palmer placed fourth on the three meter springboard and led the event in both the prelims and the semifinals.

In the final individual event of the evening, the 100 backstroke, every Lady’Back earned her best time of the season, and nearly everyone had a career-best time as well. Ng led the way with a 57.33, followed by senior Tifanie Silver (59.61), sophomore Allison Chinn (59.79), junior Dashya Kimmel (1:00.32) and freshmen Jessie Clark (1:00.25) and Gina Bargiachi (1:08.15).

A fifth-place finish in the 800 freestyle relay capped off day two of the Hoosierland Open. Kastes, Carr, Haskins and Totten improved Arkansas’ season-best time by over six seconds with a 7:29.92.

“We had a fantastic evening and we’re real excited about the last day of the meet because we feel that the events are some of our bests,” said Poppell.

Tomorrow is the final day of the three-day meet in Bloomington, Ind.

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