The NCAA has conducted its 2009 Division II Swimming and Diving Championships and in the process fans watched as two Incarnate Word swimmers put a huge dent in the Cardinals’ record book.
Junior Rachel Watson got another four UIW school marks at the national meet.
The two qualifiers in swimming from UIW were sophomore Paulina Alexander and junior Rachel Watson. Those two combined with freshman diver Jessica Wilde to pile up 96 teams points putting Incarnate Word in 16th place at meet’s end. Those points were just 49 from making UIW a top 10 squad.
It seemed that each and every time either Alexander or Watson hit the water UIW’s record book got a new entry.
Alexander finished second in the 1,000-freestyle to get it all started in event number one. Her time of 10:01.41 was nearly 24 seconds under the previous Incarnate Word mark. Next up was Watson in event number three, the 200-individual medley. She finished fourth in a school record time of 2:01.82.
Watson was next in the 50-freestyle and her time of 24 second flat was a UIW record. Alexander swam the 400-individual medley in 4:18.80 and that too was a school mark. She was second in that race.
Alternating, Watson did 1:49.14 in the 200-freestyle for a record. Alexander got another second place in the 500-freestyle and another record with her time of 4:53.12.
The twosome then got a bit out of order as Alexander got the next school record with a 16:46.40 in the 1,650-free. She was third in that event. Finally, Watson was at it again, this time in the 100-free. Her finals time of 52 seconds flat was the eighth and last UIW record set in Houston.