Pierce and Marks swim 200m breast at Olympic Trials

November 7, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. – Incoming University of Arkansas swimmer Leah Pierce bettered her qualifying time in the 200m breaststroke on Thursday at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. A Columbia, Mo., product, Pierce placed 49th in the prelims of the 200m breast in a time of 2:35.23. Pierce was placed in the second heat of the event with her qualifying time of 2:35.85. Sophomore Jamie Marks also swam the 200m breast and finished in 2:41.24, good enough for a 79th-place finish. Rebcca Soni, the top-ranked American in the world last year in this event, took the top spot in 2:24.65 and is the number one seed in the semi-finals held Thursday evening. American record-holder and defending Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard is the third seed. Arkansas swimmers have at least one more day of competition at the Trials. Senior Stephanie Carr, who swam the 400m freestyle earlier this week, and sophomore Ashley Largo are entered in the 800m free Friday morning. For more information about Arkansas swimming and diving, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.
2008 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Roster
Men Mark Warkentin, Santa Barbara Swim Club, Open Water 10K Michael Phelps, Club Wolverine, 400m IM, 200m Free, 4x200m relay, 200m fly Larsen Jensen, Trojan Swim Club, 400m Free Brendan Hansen, Longhorn Aquatic Club, 100m Breast Peter Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine, 200m free, 4x200m free relay Ricky Berens, Longhorn Aquatics, 4x200m Free Relay Klete Keller, Trojan Swim Club, 4x200m Free Relay Aaron Peirsol, Longhorn Aquatics, 100m Back
Women Chloe Sutton, Mission Viejo Nadadores, Open Water 10K Katie Hoff, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 400m IM, 400m free, 200m free, 4x200m relay, 200m IM Christine Magnuson, University of Tennessee, 100m fly Natalie Coughlin, California Aquatics, 100m back, 200m IM Jessica Hardy, Trojan Swim Club, 100m breast Allison Schmitt, Club Wolverine, 200m free, 4x200m free relay Julia Smit, Stanford Swimming, 4x200m free relay Caroline Burckle, Lakeside Swim Team, 4x200m free relay