Auburn Sweeps Double-Dual Meet From Virginia And Penn State
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Oct. 25, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The defending NCAA Champion Auburn men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams swept a double-dual meet over Virginia and Penn State Saturday (October 25) at the UVa Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Tiger men’s and women’s teams opened up early leads during the first day of competition Friday and closed out the meet by combining to win 11 of 20 events Saturday. The Auburn men defeated UVa 214-137 as well as Penn State 270-81, while the Cavaliers registered a 243-110 victory over the Nittany Lions. In the women’s meet, Auburn outscored Virginia 218-127 and Penn State 214-131, while the Nittany Lions notched a 191-162 win over the UVa women.
The Auburn men won six of 10 events Saturday, while Virginia claimed three event wins and Penn State had one victory. The Tigers opened the second day of competition by winning the 200 medley relay. Bryce Hunt, Mark Gangloff, Jeremy Knowles, and Ryan Wochomurka posted a time of 1:31.28. UVa’s foursome of fourth-year Jon Haag (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland), as first-year Vanja Rogulj (Zagreb, Croatia/Split), third-year Michael Raab (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson), and first-year Greg Imboden (Chattanooga, Tenn./McCallie) touched second in a time of 1:32.88.
Second-year Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) registered his second victory of the meet by winning the 1000 freestyle with an impressive time of 8:58.13. Crippen’s time was more than 13 seconds faster than runner-up BJ Jones of Auburn. Fourth-year Ian Prichard (Ventura, Calif./Buena) touched third in a time of 9:15.52.
Auburn’s George Bovell won the 50 free with a time of 20.41 for his third individual victory of the meet. UVa’s top finisher in the 50 free was fourth-year Adam Kerpelman (Lutherville, Md./St. Paul’s School) who placed fifth (21.37). The Tigers took the top two spots of the 100 backstroke with Doug Van Wie leading the way in 49.86. Cavalier fourth-year Luke Wagner (Englewood, Colo./Regis Jesuit) finished third in the 100 back in 50.28. The Cavaliers received their second win of the session from Rogulj in the 200 breaststroke. Rogulj, who also won the 100 breast Friday night, posted a winning time of 2:01.06 in the 200.
Raab completed his sweep of the butterfly events by winning the 100 fly with a time of 49.28. Raab also won the 200 butterfly Friday night (1:46.54). In the 200 freestyle, the Tigers took the top two spots with Todd Minnier posting a winning time of 1:39.75. Virginia first-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day) was third in 1:41.81.
In the 400 individual medley, Auburn’s Eric Shanteau won in a time of 3:51.70. Virginia third-year Bo Greenwood (Manakin, Va./Goochland) took second in the event, clocking an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:53.03. Crippen contributed for the Cavaliers with his third-place finish in the event (3:54.40). Auburn’s team of Jones, Wochomurka, Bovell, and Joe Pascale won the final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, in a time of 3:01.16. Kerpelman, Haag, Wagner, and Raab teamed up to finish second in a time of 3:04.65.
The Auburn women began the second day of the double-dual meet by winning the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:42.42 (NCAA B). Kirsty Coventry, Laura Swander, Margaret Hoelzer, and Becky Short each swam legs on the winning relay. Virginia was fourth with a time of 1:45.19. Second-year Brielle White (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside School), first-year Jenny Steiner (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence), fourth-year Cynthia Roller (Herndon, Va./Herndon), and first-year Shannon Hogan (Northville, Mich./Northville) each swam legs on the relay.
UVa first-year Kimi Kelly (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Ursuline School) picked up her second victory of the meet by winning the 1000 freestyle with a time of 9:42.77, which is only two seconds off the UVa pool record. Second-year Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel) , who was also second to Kelly in the 500 free, recorded a runner-up time of 9:46.32. In the 50 free, the Tigers’ Eileen Coparropa led a top four sweep and set a UVa pool record and also automatically qualified for the NCAAs with a time of 22.51. Hogan was the Cavaliers’ top finisher with a sixth-place time of 34.49.
In the 100 backstroke, Auburn’s Hoelzer grabbed the top spot with a time of 55.04 (NCAA B). UVa’s White was the runner-up in 55.82 (NCAA B). Hoelzer was also victorious in the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.39 (NCAA B), while Roller was third in a time of 56.70. The Tigers also won the 200 breaststroke with Lauren Duerk leading the charge with a winning time of 2:15.43 (NCAA B). Second-year Elaine Bennett (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) placed sixth for the Cavaliers in 2:21.07.
Auburn swam the final three events exhibition. Virginia first-year Katy Bland (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville) won the 200 free with a time of 1:50.95. Auburn’s Erin Volcan posted an exhibition time of 1:50.59. Virginia fourth-year Amy Baly (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) won the 400 individual medley in 4:23.99. In exhibition swims of the 400 I.M., Auburn’s Kirsty Coventry and Lauren Duerk swam times of 4:18.05 and 4:20.22, respectively. The Penn State women picked up their only swimming event victory of the meet in the 400 freestyle relay. The relay of Larissa Kavchok, Amberle Beiderman, Courtney Stanchock, and Dee Dlugonski touched in at 3:29.07. Virginia’s team of Bland, second-year Laura Lipskis (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East), Hogan, and Kelly finished second in the event with a time of 3:30.71. Jana Kolukanove, Christina Swindle, Erin Volcan, and Eileen Coparropa turned in an exhibition time of 3:23.68 for Auburn.
In the men’s one-meter diving competition held late Friday evening, Auburn’s Caesar Garcia topped the field with a winning score of 314.95 points. UVa second-year Andrew Barber (Vienna, Va./Marshall) was third with 272.20 points. In the women’s three-meter diving, Penn State’s Lisa Silvestri took the top spot with 298.40 points.