Eagle Staff Report

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Texas A&M swimming and diving team wrapped up a program-best fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships on Saturday at the McCorkle Aquatic Center.

Arizona won its first NCAA women's swimming title with a dominating 484 points. Two-time defending champion Auburn took second at 348, while Stanford was third at 343.

A&M earned 315 points, 117 more than the Aggies' previous record at last year's meet when A&M finished what was then a school-best eighth.

"I'm just so proud of the girls," A&M head coach Steve Bultman said. "They kept stepping up every session and taking care of business. It's exciting and rewarding for all of us because we've worked very hard to do this, but it's something I knew was possible. We have great facilities and great support at A&M. Our motto is 'building champions,' and that's something we've done and will continue striving to do."

Julia Wilkinson came within .06 seconds of becoming A&M's first national champion in women's swimming and diving, taking second in the 100-yard freeystle to Arizona's Lacey Nymeyer, who won in 47.50 seconds.

A&M's 400 freestyle relay team took third, with Christine Marshall, Triin Aljand, Codie Hansen and Wilkinson finishing in a Big 12 record time of 3:13.08.

A&M junior Kristen Heiss equaled the highest NCAA finish of her career by taking third in the 200 backstroke in 1:53.52.

Sophomore Alia Atkinson also took third in the 200 breaststroke with a Big 12 record time of 2:09.48.

The Aggies collegiate season is over, but they will compete in the Post-NCAA Long Course Qualifier on Sunday in Columbus in an effort to get more athletes qualified for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials.