Barber and Costella qualify for finals

Justin Barber and Lauren Costella accomplished something for the Carson Tigersharks on Friday that no other club team was able to do at the U.S. Open in Minneapolis.

Barber and Costella were able to qualify for the championship finals of the 400-meter individual medley, making the Tigersharks the only club to qualify for a men's and women's championship final in an event.

"That's a feather in the kids' cap," Tigershark coach Jim Puleo said.

Costella qualified sixth in 5 minutes, .86 seconds and finished fifth in the finals in 4:58.64. Barber qualified fifth in 4:34.64 and settled for eighth in the finals with the exact same time.

Barber will try to qualify for the U.S. National Championships today in a 400 I.M. time trial. The national qualifying time is 4:33..49.

Costella came into the meet unrested. "I think swimming tired, she's doing a good job," Puleo said.

Tara Theilemann also competed for the Tigersharks on Friday, finishing the 200 freestyle in 2:08.15. Theilemann's swim wasn't particularly strong, Puleo said, but she has been plagued with a knee injury. Puleo said Theilemann will undergo athroscopic knee surgery.

"The kids swam well," said Puleo about his swimmers' effort.

The meet concludes today. Theilemann will swim in the 100 free and Costella will compete in the 200 butterfly and 800 free.