Swimming and Diving Season Recap
During the 2011-12 season, sixth-year head coach Joe Dykstra continued to build North Texas into an up-and-coming program.
North Texas wrapped up the season ranked as the highest Sun Belt team (ninth) in the final mid-major polls (CollegeSwimming.com). The Mean Green debuted at 11th place and reached a program-high seventh during the season.
Zones
Divers Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Taylor competed at the NCAA Zone D Diving meet hosted by the University of Iowa.
In the one-meter dive, Catherine Johnson recorded a 230.15 and a 29th place finish. Rebecca Taylor finished 38th with a 200.80 on the one-meter springboard. Taylor was 23.65 points shy from making the final round.
Out of 41 entries on the three-meter, Rebecca Taylor landed 29th with a 239.90 followed closely by Johnson's 31st place finish and score of 232.00.
Sun Belt Conference Championships
For the fourth year in a row, the Mean Green won bronze at the Sun Belt Conference Championships. During the four-day span, North Texas broke 18 school record and collected four gold medals, six silvers, and five bronzes.
The Mean Green went into the championships ranked seventh among mid-majors (CollegeSwimming.com), tying the highest poll ranking in program history.
Rebecca Taylor started off day one of the SBC Championships by setting a school record on the three-meter dive during prelims (304.45). Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Taylor would place second and fourth during finals, scoring a 273.00 and 257.90. Johnson collected her first of two silver medals of the meet.
The 800 free relay consisting of Catia Weickgenant, Kimmy Phillips, Becca Ploetz, and Krista Rossum sliced though the water finishing in 7:19.00, a North Texas record. The Mean Green knocked off almost three seconds off the school record, jumping past the previous time of 7:21.90.
In day two, Catia Weickgenant was crowned the 500 free champion after setting a new Sun Belt Conference and meet record in 4:47.01, topping her SBC record of 4:48.89 set in December.
During day three, North Texas won gold in the 400 Medley relay (3:41.25) with a narrow finish over Western Kentucky. This marked the first relay victory for the Mean Green at the Sun Belt Championships since the program's existence in 1998. Composed of Mona Groteguth, Krista Rossum, Rosa Gentile, and Catia Weickgenant, the Mean Green relay team cut over four and a half seconds off the school record set in December (3:45.90).
Groteguth's 100 back split (55.17) created her third school record and personal best time in the race for the third time in a handful of hours.
On the final day of the SBC Champsionships, North Texas broke a school record in every event. The Mean Green accumulated a gold (200 breast), three silvers (1650 free, 200 fly, 400 free relay) and a bronze (1650 free) medal.
North Texas vs Texas A&M
In the last meet of the regular season, the Mean Green fell to nationally ranked No. 6 Texas A&M 186-105.
Becca Ploetz recorded one of her season best times at 53.44 in the 100 free.
TCU vs North Texas
The Mean Green made history on Senior Night topping cross-town rival TCU 132-111 at home for the first time in program history.
Seabre Pope wrapped up her final meet at the Pohl Recreation Center with two fourth place finishes in the 50 Free (24.85) and 100 Free (54.37). The senior was also the first leg in the second place finishing 200 Free Relay "A" team (1:38.97).
UALR vs North Texas
North Texas jumped out early over UALR, winning four of the first five events and finished the day capturing first place in 13 of the 16 events. The Mean Green defeated the Trojans 137-124.
Rosa Gentile opened and closed the day on the winning relay team, prevailing in the 200 Yard IM Relay (1:47.76) and 200 Yard Free Relay (1:37.82). The senior also captured the 100 Breast (1:08.51) and 100 Free (53.71).
North Texas vs FIU/Alabama
In a double-dual meet, the Mean Green defeated FIU (113.5-109.5) and marginally fell to Alabama (121.5-115.5).
Senior Hiliary Riedmann won the 1000 free in 10:26.17 and Catia Weickgenant finished first in the 200 free in 1:53.12.
Gentile placed second in the 50 free (54.94) and seized first in the 100 fly (57.14). Bryn Lewis quickly followed in second place (58.05).
Incarnate Word
At the Incarnate Word Invitational in San Antonio, Texas, Rebecca Taylor snapped the program scores in the 3-meter dive and platform dive, and qualified for the NCAA Zones Diving Championship in the 3-meter dive.
Mizzou Invite
The Mean Green brought home from the Mizzou Invite a fourth place finish, 10 new school records, and a new Sun Belt Conference record. North Texas' fourth place finish placed them ahead of UC Davis (defending Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Champions), Drury (defending NCAA Division II Champion), Saint Louis, and North Dakota.
Junior Catia Weickgenant swam in record breaking fashion, overcoming three North Texas school records (200 fly, 200 free, 500 free), a Sun Belt Conference All-Time record (500 free) and a Mizzou Invite Meet record (200 fly).
Krista Rossum grabbed four school records (200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast).
Rebecca Taylor participated in platform diving as the first Mean Green diver to ever compete in the event and scored a 162.35.
Tiger Southwest Shootout
At the Tiger Southwest Invite, Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Taylor broke the school record in the one-meter dive as they led the Mean Green to a strong finish as teams from the southwest region competed in the meet.
Johnson won her fifth straight one-meter diving with a 304.85, shattering her previous school record of 279.35 while Taylor jumped to second with 296.85.
Rice vs North Texas
The Mean Green flew past Rice at the Pohl Recreation Center as they defeated the Owls for the second time in school history, 165-129.
Krista Rossum broke the previous school record in the 400 IM set by current teammate Hiliary Riedmann (4:28.11), with a time of 4:28.05. Rossum also seized a win against the Owls in the 200-yard breaststoke in 2:22.74.
Mona Groteguth set a new top season time in the 100-yard backstroke (57.01) after taking first place in the event. Groteguth also took first place in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:02.73.
North Texas vs SMU/Wyoming
North Texas swimming and diving came the closest in program history to defeating cross-town rival SMU after falling 69-44. Wyoming also jumped the Mean Green after winning the final event of the meet, pushing the Cowboys ahead 57-56.
Rossum won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:19.98) and placed second in the 200-yard IM (2:05.13) while Johnson won both the one-meter (257.45) and three-meter dive (276.35).
New Mexico State vs North Texas
North Texas jumped to 2-0 in dual meets for the first time in the Joe Dykstra era after defeating New Mexico State 184.5-115.5, a first since 2004.
Catherine Johnson met the NCAA Zone Meet diving score, becoming the first North Texas diver in school history to qualify for the NCAA Zone Meet in back-to-back years.
Krista Rossum set the school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:18.36, breaking the school mark of 2:19.48, set by Hannele Luoma in 2009-10. Rossum also was victorious in the 200 IM.
Rosa Gentile won the 100 backstroke with a time of 58.23 and Catia Weickegenant won the 200 freestyle in 1:53.87.
North Texas vs Tulane
North Texas won its opening dual meet of the season, defeating Tulane 175-123 in New Orleans. The Mean Green have now won three straight dual meets against the Green Wave.
Mona Groteguth (100 back, 57.76) and Krista Rossum (100 breast, 1:04.85) posted times fast enough to make the record books.
Green and White
The Mean Green swimmers turned in fine performances as the Green team of upperclassmen edged the White team of underclassmen 123-120 in the swimming & diving program's annual season opener at the Pohl Recreation Center.
In the 100 yard backstroke, Rosa Gentile churned out a 57.73, just over a second-and-a-half of her team-best time from 2010-11 and just under 1.75 seconds from the school record.
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