Swimming: Callaway Named Outstanding Swimmer
February 22, 2009 11:07 AM | General
February 22, 2009
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| Morgan Callaway |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University swimming and diving junior Morgan Callaway was named the women’s BIG EAST Most Outstanding Swimmer for her performance at the BIG EAST Championships in Indianapolis. The award was presented by West Virginia’s Associate Athletic Director, Terri Howes.
Callaway, a native of Coatesville, Pa., swam in three individual events, while being part of four relay teams. Throughout the meet she swam to first-place finishes in all of her individual events and set four separate records, breaking one twice. She also had NCAA “B” qualifying times in all seven of her races.
Starting the meet Wednesday with the 800 free relay, Callaway swam the opening leg and finished the open 200 in a school-record time of 1:47.37, breaking her previous mark of 1:47.76 set at the 2008 BIG EAST Championships. The relay team was made up of Callaway, junior Shaunna Purtell and seniors Lindsey Largo and Maritza Paredes and finished in third at 7:18.77. Later in the night, the 200 medley relay team of Callaway, senior Isabel Perez and juniors Stephanie Shupe and Kayla Andrews swam to a fourth-place finish in 1:41.04.
On Thursday night, Callaway continued her dominance in the opening event of the night, the 500 free where she won in a time of 4:46.69, defeating the competition by about three seconds.
Friday night Callaway broke the 200 free record she had set on Wednesday with a first-place finish time of 1:46.21. Callaway was not satisfied with just one record for the night and swam on the 400 medley relay with freshman Jaryn Studer, Shupe and Andrews. Callaway swam the opening 100 back in a school-record time of 54.02. The relay team finished the race in third place with a time of 3:40.59.
Saturday, the final night of competition, Callaway swam in the 200 back, breaking her own school-record with a first-place finish and time of 1:55.65 for her final individual swim. Callaway ended the meet with a close second-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay on a team made up of Purtell, Shupe, Callaway and Andrews.
Callaway now has a total of 10 BIG EAST Champion medals from performances throughout her career and is in the West Virginia record book holding four individual records and four relay records.
