Nov. 5, 1999

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Despite winning three out of nine events, the University of Illinois Women's swim team fell to the University of Missouri Tigers, 96-90, on the first day of competition at the 1999 Dual Meet Extravaganza held in Champaign, Ill.

Although the team missed a victory by seven points, Head Coach Jim Lutz was pleased with his team's effort.

"I was real pleased with the girls and how well they stayed in it," Lutz said. "I'm not disappointed in the way we swam because we came back big."

Added Lutz: "This is the perfect first step. We might have come up short in points but we didn't lose anything. We're right where we need to be."

The first event the Illini captured was the 100 yd, backstroke, thanks to junior Darcy Adler (Tucson, Az./Salpointe Catholic) who won the event in a time of 1:04.81. AN event later, it was the duo of freshman Astrid Matthias (Brauweiler, Germany/Gymnasium Frechen) and senior Natasha Messmer (New Hope, Minn./Armstrong) who posted times of 57.24 and 57.92, respectively, to notch the top spots in the 100 yd. butterfly. The Illini finished the day in stellar fashion as the foursome of Adler, Messmer, senior Marcie Black (Crawfordsville, Ind./Crawfordsville), and freshman Alison Czmarko (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu) captured the 400 yd. medley relay in a time of 3:53.36.

In diving action, Penn State's Jaime Jaax won both the 1 meter and 3 meter diving events, while Kansas' Adam Hanhart swept the competition, capturing the 1 meter and 3 meter.

The 1999 Dual Meet Extravaganza continues tomorrow at 9:30 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. on Sunday at the Intramural Physical Education Building (IMPE) located in Champaign, Ill.

TEAM SCORES

WOMEN
Penn State, 118, def. Southern Illinois-Carbondale, 60
Univ. of Missouri, 96, def. Univ. of Illinois, 90
Univ. of Kansas, 119, def. Univ. of North Texas, 59

MEN
Univ. of Missouri, 81, def. Univ. of Kansas, 69 S. Illinois, 76, def. Univ. of Kansas, 71
Univ. of Missouri, 90, def. Southern Illinois-Carbondale, 57