Tickets
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Jackie Keire went back to the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships determined to make it into a final and put Cincinnati on the scoreboard.
The sophomore accomplished that in dramatic fashion on Friday, March 20, placing 16th nationally in the 200 freestyle and earning honorable mention All-America honors.
In the morning preliminary session, Keire and Purdue's Rhianno Sheets tied in 1:45.36. The duo had to return for a swim-off with not only a spot in the B-Finals at stake, but also All-American status.
Keire, following the lead of the Cincinnati men's basketball team's overtime victory over Purdue the night before in the NCAA Tournament, pulled out the victory, touching in 1:45.18, just ahead of Sheets who finished in 1:45.30, to earn the win.
Keire returned in the evening session, having swam an extra event on the day, to finish in 1:48.63. She placed 16th nationally, but became the first Bearcats female since 2005 to score points for UC and be named an All-American. The event was won by California's four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin in 1:39.10.
Ann Degenstein was the last All-American at Cincinnati, earning the distinction in the 100 and 200 butterfly in 2005. Current UC assistant coach Josh Schneider was the most recent swimmer of either gender, winning the national title in the 50 freestyle in 2010.
Keire will return on the final day of competition, Saturday, March 21, to compete in the 100 freestyle. She enters seeded 17th in that event.
She already competed in the 500 freestyle yesterday, placing 23rd in the nation with a time of 4:42.54.