Bucks battle the Cardinal for Championship on Prelims
Florida natives advance to Saturday’s finals

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Stanford and The Ohio State University set the stage for a dramatic face-off on the first day of the 29th annual United States Sychronized Swimming Championships. Stanford University's team captain and Florida native, Katie Norris, sweeps the prelims in the solo competition, while The Ohio State fights back in duet prelims. The trio prelims created suspense among 2004 Olympians swimming for the Cardinal, and The Ohio State's 2008 Olympic trainee Becky Kim, Ellen Hacker and Lindsay Newbill. The Ohio State and Stanford tied in trio prelims with a score of 94.900.

The 2005 Championships kicked off Thursday morning at the O'Connell Center on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville.

Katie Norris, of Stanford University (Calif.) took first in the semifinal solo routine with a 95.000, setting her 1.800 ahead of second place holder and 2008 Olympic Training Squad member Becky Kim, The Ohio State University. Senior and team captain for Stanford University, Norris was also a member of the 2004 Olympic Training Squad.

Keuka College Storm’s Rebecca Story, a Lakeland, Fla. native, advances to the Saturday’s final competition with a sixth place finish in the solo preliminaries and a score of 85.100.

Two more Florida natives, twins Stacey and Stephanie Jackson (University of Alabama, Birmingham) also advance to Saturday’s finals with a seventh place finish in the duet prelims and a score of 87.300. They also placed sixth in trio prelims.

Becky Kim returns with duet partner Lindsay Newbill, in the duet prelims to capture the lead with a score of 95.700, knocking Katie Norris and Samantha Bongiovanni-Duclos of the Cardinal into second.

More than 275 athletes from 25 colleges and universities are competing for collegiate national titles in the solo, duet, trio and team events. The championships are an open-class meet, combining competition for NCAA Divisions I, II and III, plus NAIA schools and clubs. The top eight athletes from today's preliminary rounds will advance to Saturday's finals.

Competition continues at the University of Florida O’Connell Center Friday March 25th with figures at 8:05a.m. and team semi-finals at 4:50p.m.

Solo Preliminary

1. Katie Rose Norris (Stanford University) 95.000, 2. Becky Kim (The Ohio State University) 93.200, 3. Sara Petrov (University of Alabama, Birmingham) 90.900, 4a. Honorary Katherine Lynn Norris (Stanford University) 89.900, 4. Danielle Kramer (University of Incarnate Word) 88.700, 5. Sachi Maekawa (Wheaton College) 85.700, 6. Rebecca Story (Keuka College Storm) 85.100, 7. Kristina Averell (Canisius College) 84.500, 8. Caitlin Rooney (University of Minnesota) 78.600.

Duet Preliminary

1. Becky Kim, Lindsay Newbill (The Ohio State University) 95.700, 2. - Katie Rose Norris, Samantha B-Duclos (Stanford University) 95.200, 3. Courtenay Stewart, Sara Lowe (Stanford University) 94.700, 4. Morgan Clarke, Sara Petrov (Univ. Alabama, Birmingham) 93.100, 5a. Honorary Michelle Benzie, Julia Broadfoot (The Ohio State University) 89.600, 5. Jamee Paoloemilio, Beth Richie (Canisius College) 89.600, 6. Jennifer Holmquest, Rachael Simon (University Incarnate Word) 89.500, 7a. Honorary Ayne Pinette, Leah Pinette (The Ohio State University) 89.100, 7b. Honorary Natalie Chase, Emily Van Vleck (University Incarnate Word) 87.700, 7. Stacey Jackson, Stephanie Jackson (Univ. Alabama, Birmingham) 87.300, 8a. Honorary Elizabeth Chinoransky, Zoe Villarreal (University Incarnate Word) 86.900, 8a. Honorary Andrea Dash, Vanessa Dash (Univ. Alabama, Birmingham) 86.900, 8. Andrea Natoli, Katie Scanlon (Canisius College) 86.400.

Trio Preliminary