Nine school records were broken by the ISU women’s swimming and diving team over four days last week at the 2002 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at College Station, Texas.

Two women’s swimmers – sophomores Melissa Jensen and Sonja Groening – will move on to the NCAA tournament next month.

Others are being considered for it.

“We really performed outstanding in all six sessions,” head coach Duane Sorenson said of the championships.

Jensen’s 200 backstroke time of 1:58.71 on Saturday shattered her old record of 2:02.60 she set at last year’s Big 12 Championships.

Her time this year was one-hundredth of a second short of an automatic qualification for the NCAA’s, but it was later decided she would be invited.

Sonja Groening’s NCAA accepted time in the 100 butterfly was 54.49.

“I knew I was ready to go fast,” she said.

She swam her preliminary time in “I think a 54.7,” she said.

Groening knew she could go faster yet.

“I really have to thank my teammates. Without my teammates, I would have never made it,” she said.

“I am really pleased to be a part of this team,” Groening said, considering it is the best she’s been on in her life.

Sorenson attributes the school records broken this year and last – 11 were set last year, many of them now shattered – to how well his team works together and how hard it trains.

“We have good quality athletes who train very hard and they’re a cohesive group – they like each other,” Sorenson said.

Sophomore Petra Plaminikova’s time of 2:16.59 was good enough for second place in the 200 breaststroke, a time that will be considered by the NCAA. Plaminikova and others didn’t automatically qualify for the NCAA. Still some people are accepted who didn’t qualify outright based on time.

Also earning consideration for the NCAA was the 400 freestyle relay team of sophomore Susanne Notbohm, senior Becca Meyer, freshman Brita Benson and junior Rena Kelinson with their time of 3:23.91, eclipsing the school record set last year at the Big 12 of 3:26.97.

Sorenson now turns his attention to training for the national championships March 21-23.

He’ll put them through a “mini-season” of workouts in preparation.

He said he wants to place well and score points.

To place, the person or relay must finish in the top 16. Where the athlete or athletes finish among the 16 scores the points.