UVa Men's Swimming Finishes Second At Boilermaker Challenge
Story Links
Nov. 6, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 10th-ranked Virginia men’s swimming and diving team finished in second place, while the 14th-ranked Cavalier women placed sixth at the Boilermaker Challenge which concluded Saturday evening (November 6) at Purdue’s Doris Z. Holloway Pool. The UVa men scored 919 points to take second in the field of four, while Virginia women were sixth with 407 points among eight teams. All 12 teams in the meet are ranked in the top 25 of the College Swim Coaches Association of America Top 25 Poll.
Third-ranked Florida won the men’s Boilermaker Challenge with 1,014 points with UVa second with 919. Purdue, ranked 20th, was third with 836 points, while 19th-ranked Texas A&M was fourth (678). In the women’s competition, third-ranked Florida won with 748.50 points, while #11 Texas A&M was second with 584.50. Fourth-ranked Texas was third (573.50) and ninth-ranked UCLA was fourth (488.50 points), followed by #17 Michigan (460.50), #14 Virginia (407), #23 Purdue (400), and #18 Tennessee (352.50).
The Cavalier men won three more individual events to increase their total to eight individual wins in the meet. Third-year Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) got Virginia off to a great start by winning the 1650 freestyle with an NCAA “B” time of 15:21.28. It was Crippen’s third individual event win of the meet. Second-year John Millen (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) was runner-up in the mile with a time of 15:23.64, while first-year Kevin Nead (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) placed seventh (15:54.51). Second-year Vanja Rogulj (Zagreb, Croatia/Split) led a one-two UVa finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:58.81. The time met the NCAA “B standard and the victory marked Rogulj’s second individual event win of the meet. First-year Ryan Hurley (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) was second in the 200 breast (2:02.51) and first-year PJ Sullivan (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan) was fifth (2:04.93), while first-year Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) was 10th (2:08.38). Fourth-year Michael Raab (Rockville, Va./Walter Johnson) rounded out UVa’s event winners as he took the 200 butterfly by over four seconds with a time of 1:46.07 (NCAA “B”). Second-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day) touched in 1:51.21 for fourth place, while fourth-year Chris Cooper (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) and second-year Elliott Beaulieu (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Alma) were eighth and 10th with times of 1:53.98 and 1:54.96.
In the 100 freestyle, fourth-year Luke Anderson Charlottesville, Va./Bolles School) clocked an NCAA “B” time of 44.73 to finish second, while first-year Matt Targett (Victoria, Australia/Scotch College) was fourth (45.65). Fourth-year Bo Greenwood (Manakin, Va./Goochland) was UVa’s top finisher in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:49.87. Nead and Mellors were seventh and eighth with times of 1:51.34 and 1:52.03, respectively. Third-year Eric Kelley (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Christian School) was sixth in platform diving with 272.65 points. The foursome of fourth-year Brett Simon (San Mateo, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep), fourth-year Brian Harrington (Alexandria, Va./Mount Vernon), second-year Greg Imboden (Chattanooga, Tenn./McCallie), and first-year Bryan Stahl (Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) swam legs on UVa’s fifth place 400 free relay (3:08.00).
In the women’s meet, third-year Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel) posted UVa’s top finish as she was fourth in the 1650 free with an NCAA “B” time of 16:33.36. Third-year Elaine Bennett (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) took fifth place in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:02.20 and was also sixth in the 200 breaststroke (2:19.62). Third-years Katie Gordon (Winter Park, Fla./Trinity Prep) and Brielle White (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside School) were seventh and eighth in the 200 backstroke with times of 2:01.59 and 2:0184, respectively, with Gordon meeting the NCAA “B” standard. In the 100 freestyle, Jess Lewis (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) finished eighth (51.66) with first-year Stephanie Glover (Raleigh, N.C./Athens Drive) taking the ninth spot (51.93).
In the 400 free relay, the foursome of second-year Katy Bland (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville), Glover, Lewis and first-year Amber Bialas (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) registered a time of 3:26.67 to finish in seventh place.
The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams return to action on Friday, November 12 when they travel to Atlanta for a 3:30 p.m. meet against Georgia Tech.