Eagle Staff Report
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Seniors Julia Wilkinson and Alia Atkinson won the first and second national championships in program history and led the Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team it's fourth straight top eight finish at the 2010 NCAA Championships on Saturday at Purdue University's Boilermaker Aquatic Center.
A&M finished with 311 points to place sixth overall. Florida won with 382 followed by Stanford (379.5), California (363), Arizona (359.5), Georgia (342.5), A&M, USC (251), Auburn (153), Virginia (151) and Indiana (133).
Wilkinson won the 100-yard freestyle in 47.61 seconds for the Aggie women's first national title in swimming. Atkinson followed with a victory in the 200 breaststroke in 2:07.38.
"That was incredibly sweet to watch for me as a coach," A&M head swimming coach Steve Bultman said. "Seeing Julia win our first-ever national title and then doing it again with Alia was awesome to watch. Going into the meet we knew they had a chance to win, but having a chance and actually doing it are different things. You know it can happen, but to see them pull it off was exciting and fun to see."
The Aggies' finish was the second-highest in program history behind their fourth-place finish at the 2008 Championships. A&M's point total also ranks second to the 2008 team's 315 points.
Freshman Maureen McLaine set the A&M school record in the 1,650 freestyle while finishing 11th in 16:07.41.
Senior Kristin Heiss finished out her A&M career with a sixth-place finish in the 200 backstroke in 1:53.67.
In the 200 butterfly, sophomore Rita Medrano placed 16th overall in 1:57.34. Sophomore Janie Potvin won the consolation final of the platform dive with a score of 290.60, placing ninth overall.
The Aggies closed out the meet with the foursome of senior Sarah Woods, senior Melissa Hain, junior Maria Sommer and Wilkinson placing sixth in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:15.46.