Cavs Send 10 Swimmers to NCAA's
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March 11, 1998
CAVALIERS SEND 10 TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: Virginia has qualified 10 swimmers for the 1998 NCAA Championship, which will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., from Mar. 19-21. The Cavaliers who will swim at NCAAs are Emily Carrig, Rebecca Cronk, Kori Forster, Julie Gehm, Meghan Iffland, Meghan McCubbins, Sharon Riedlinger, Lindsey Schubert, Laura Sullivan and Emily Trakas. With its 10 swimmers, UVa has the most NCAA participants in school history.
VIRGINIA CAPTURES SECOND ACC CHAMPIONSHIP: In the 1998 ACC Championship meet, held at the UVa Aquatic and Fitness Center from Feb. 18-21, the Cavaliers claimed their second conference title in school history. Virginia, which won its only previous ACC title in 1990, finished in first place with 818.5 points, outdistanced second-place North Carolina (728.5) by 90 points. Defending-champion Clemson finished in third place with 547 points, followed by Maryland with 391 points. North Carolina State (389), Florida State (301) and Duke (172) rounded out the scoring.
UVA AT THE 1997 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: The Cavaliers had seven swimmers compete at last season’s NCAA Championship and finished in 28th place with a total of 14 points. All of UVa’s points were scored by its freestyle relay teams, with the 200 yard freestyle relay of Rebecca Cronk, Julie Gehm, Emily Trakas and Meghan McCubbins leading the way with a 14th place finish in a time of 1:33.83. Both the 400 yard freestyle relay of Cronk, Trakas, Emily Carrig and McCubbins (3:23.87) and the 800 yard freestyle relay of Cronk, Trakas, Sharon Riedlinger and Carrig (7:09.92) finished in 15th place. Carrig had the top showing by a UVa swimmer in an individual event, placing 22nd in the 200 yard butterfly.
CAVALIERS RECORD ANOTHER STRONG DUAL-MEET RECORD: Virginia ha an overall record of 7-2 this season, with a 3-2 mark against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. This should come as no surprise, as the Cavaliers have posted a winning record in dual meets each of the last 11 years. In addition, UVa recorded at least seven victories for the sixth straight season.
RELAY POWER: All five of the Cavaliers’ relay teams posted outstanding performances at the 1998 ACC Championship. The 200 yard freestyle relay team of Rebecca Cronk, Julie Gehm, Meghan Iffland and Meghan McCubbins (1:32.04) and the 400 yard freestyle relay team of Emily Trakas, Iffland, Cronk and McCubbins (3:20.76) both won ACC titles and set new school and conference records in the process. The 800 yard freestyle relay team of Cronk, Laura Sullivan, Trakas and Emily Carrig also finished first at ACCs, swimming a time of 7:22.86. In addition, the 200 yard medley relay team of Iffland, Lindsey Schubert, Kori Forster and Cronk (1:42.77) and the 400 yard medley relay team of Iffland, Schubert, McCubbins and Trakas (3:43.48) both placed second and set new school records.
THREE CAVALIER SWIMMERS WIN INDIVIDUAL ACC TITLES: In addition to the success of the UVa relay teams at the ACC Championship, three Virginia swimmers captured first place in individual events. Emily Carrig successfully defended her title in the 200 yard butterfly, finishing first in a time of 2:01.33. Kori Forster won the 100 yard breaststroke in a time of 1:03.96, while Lindsey Schubert took first in the 200 yard breaststroke with a time of 2:15.85.
CRONK BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD IN 50 FREE: Sophomore Rebecca Cronk broke the UVa record in the 50 yard freestyle during the 1998 ACC Championship. She posted a time of 23.01 in the preliminary round to tie Meghan McCubbins’ record which had been set only two weeks earlier. Cronk then broke the record in the finals with a time of 23.00, which was good for a second place finish in the event.
SCHUBERT SETS TWO SCHOOL RECORDS AT ACCS: Sophomore Lindsey Schubert broke two school records during the 1998 ACC Championship. Schubert swam a time of 2:15.85 in the 200 yard breaststroke to break Chris Agnew’s old record of 2:17.80, set in 1993, by almost two seconds. She also broke the record in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.94 in the preliminary round, bettering Annette Bultema’s old mark of 1:04.45, which was set in 1992, by nearly half a second. Schubert won the ACC title in the 200 breast, while placing fourth in the finals of the 100 breast.
TWO UVA DIVERS ADVANCE TO REGIONALS: A pair of Cavalier divers will take part in the NCAA Zone B Diving Regional in Athens, Ga., on Mar. 13-14, in hopes of advancing to the NCAA Championship. Virginia is led by sophomore Katie Caratelli, who earned Most Valuable Diver honors at this year’s ACC Championship, marking the second straight year she has won the honor. Caratelli won the ACC title on the three meter springboard for the second straight season with a score of 496.50, while placing second on the one meter springboard with a score of 395.95. Virginia’s other top diver is freshman Ashley Smith, who placed fourth at ACCs at three meters (465.40) fifth at one meter (382.10).
Season Results
7-2 OVERALL, 3-2 ACC Nov. 1 at Clemson * L, 98.5-144.5 Nov. 9 Pittsburgh W, 168.5-128.5 Nov. 15 Virginia Tech W, 159-75 Nov. 21-22 Sun Devil Classic I (at Tempe, Ariz.) Third / 739.5 Nov. 22 Sun Devil Classic II (at Tempe, Ariz.) Fourth / 208 Dec. 4-6 UVa Invitational First / 1,339 Jan. 3-5 at Georgia Diving Invitational no team scores Jan. 12 at Rowan University W, 47-36 Jan. 17 North Carolina State * W, 152-89 Jan. 24 at North Carolina * L, 140-160 Jan. 31 Villanova W, 120-103 Feb. 7 Duke * W, 132-90 Feb. 7 Maryland * W, 126-101 Feb. 18-21 ACC Championship First / 818.5 Mar. 13-14 NCAA Zone Diving Regionals (at Athens, Ga.) Mar. 19-21 NCAA Championship (at Minneapolis, Minn.) Apr. 1-5 U.S. National Championship (at Minneapolis, Minn.)* Atlantic Coast Conference meetsHome meets held at the UVa Aquatic & Fitness Center