Dec. 6, 2003
AUSTIN, Texas. - On the final day of competition at the 2003 Texas Invitational on Saturday, Arizona State junior All-American swimmer ?gnes Kov?cs continued her outstanding meet by claiming her third individual title of the weekend, winning the 200m breaststroke. Senior All-American teammate Ahmed Hussein won the 200m backstroke for the men.
Kov?cs capped off an exceptional meet with a win in the 200m breast, clocking a time of 2:29.40, better than two seconds faster than her nearest rival. The time converts to a short course yards time of 2:11.47, a NCAA automatic standard for the Hungarian. Already this weekend, Kov?cs recorded wins in the 200m IM and the 100m breaststroke.
Hussein's victory in the 200m back came in a time of 2:01.78, a NCAA consideration standard. His time in the morning preliminary session--conducted in short course yards--of 1:45.32 is a season-best for the Egyptian and places him fifth in the country according to the latest Taper & Shave College Quick 50. Former Sun Devil Christian Harcsas placed sixth in the 200m back finals, clocking a 2:05.15.
Senior All-American Petra Banovic placed fifth in the finals of the women's 200m back, recording a 2:19.68. Her short course yards time in the morning preliminary session of 2:00.21 is a career-best. Banovic also notched a fifth-place finish in the 200m butterfly, touching the wall in 2:17.36.
Other Sun Devils competing in Saturday's final session included Abra Armour, Sarah Fischer and Tom Hickman. Armour won the consolation final in the 100m freestyle with a time of 58.48, a converted time into short course yards of 51.46, a season-best. Fischer finished 28th overall in the 100m free after touching the wall in 1:01.15. Hickman, the only other Sun Devil men's competitor at the meet, finished 30th in the 100m freestyle, touching the wall in 54.28.
The Sun Devils are in action next on January 3, when they host Washington at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center at 9 a.m.