Women's swimming and diving drown Nebraska

The Tigers won every event in which they competed.

By Eric Short

Published Feb. 9, 2010

The Missouri women's swimming and diving team's final home meet of the year was a successful one when the team swam away with a win over Nebraska, 203-93.

It was also Senior Day for the Tigers. Seniors Molly Bollen, Colleen Gordon and Kim Jasmer competed against collegiate competition for the final time at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

Bollen had mixed emotions about swimming in the home pool for the last time.

"It's a little bittersweet," said Bollen, who won the 100-yard butterfly and placed second in the 200-yard freestyle relay along with Gordon. "It's awesome to be done but at the same time it is kind of sad."

Missouri swimmers won all the 16 events in which they competed, including a clean sweep in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Tigers have been on a roll lately, winning their last seven meets. During that streak they knocked off No. 19 Arkansas on Jan. 16, a meet Jasmer said brought a lot of energy to the team.

"When Arkansas came here and we beat them it brought so much energy to this team," said Jasmer, a transfer from Washington who has only been with Missouri for one year. "(This season) has been really exciting because we have bigger goals than this program has ever had."

Jasmer won the 200-yard individual medley, the 200-yard freestyle and was on the winning team in the 200-yard freestyle relay against the Cornhuskers.

In addition to their seven-meet winning streak, the Tigers have only two conference losses, coming at the hands of No. 3 Texas on Oct. 15 and No. 6 Texas A&M on Oct. 17. Missouri is ranked No. 21 by collegeswimming.com.

Missouri coach Brian Hoffer said the team could be very successful at the Big 12 Championships later this month, as well as the NCAA Championships in March.

"This is one of the best teams in the history of the program," Hoffer said. "We feel that we can compete with anyone. The attitude that the girls approach every day with has really caused them to rip off some good times. The attitude they have had with their training and with getting their rest on the weekend has been great. They haven't been perfect, but overall they have been doing everything the right way."

Gordon, who holds eight individual top 10 times in Missouri's history, won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.09 and placed second to her teammate junior Morgan McCleery in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.09. Gordon was an NCAA Championship qualifier last year in the 400-medley relay and the 500-free, and she said she hopes to get back there before her tenure as a Tiger is over.

"Right now we are just focusing on getting ready for the Big 12 Championships and nationals, none of us have qualified yet, and we are all hoping to," Gordon said.