Whitworth Pirates Swimming
Sports Information
Turner Scores in 500 Freestyle
March 18, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Natalie Turner continued her streak of scoring at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships by finishing 11th in the 500-yard freestyle on Wednesday night at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Natalie Turner

Turner (Jr., South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) has scored in every individual event she has entered over her career at the NCAA meet. Her 11th-place finish in a time of 4:57.30 is the seventh straight time she has reached the championship or consolation finals of an NCAA event.

Her time is also a new Whitworth and Northwest Conference record, breaking the mark of 4:57.59 she set at last month's NWC Championship Meet in Federal Way.

Three other Pirates did not reach the evening finals in their individual events on Wednesday. Michael Woodward (So., Springfield, Ore.) finished 31st in the preliminaries of the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:36.39. Ashley Lecoq (Jr., Renton, Wash.) was 49th in the preliminaries of the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.48. Rory Buck (Fr., Dubai, U.A.E.) also raced in the 50 free and finished 51st in the prelims in 21.39.

The top 16 swimmers advance from the morning preliminaries to the evening's scoring heats.

On Thursday Turner has a chance to extend her career scoring streak to eight events in a row by competing in the 200-yard freestyle. Woodward will also swim in the 200 free, while Lecoq races in the 100-yard butterfly.

The 2009 NCAA Division III Championships mark the first time the men's and women's meets have been held simultaneously. Macalester College is hosting the meet.

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