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Feb. 24, 2005

Results

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Virginia men’s swimming and diving team recaptured first place after the second of four days of competition Thursday (February 24) in the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship, which is being held at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center. UVa led after the first day, but after a late disqualification of the Cavaliers’ 200 medley relay prior to Thursday’s competition, Virginia found itself in ninth place. A strong showing, including three event victories Thursday, gave UVa a 46-point lead after seven of 20 events.

Virginia was disqualified from the 200 medley relay for using a relay that differed from the relay card it turned in. UVa lost 32 of its 72 points and stood in ninth place with 40 points after the two events held in the first day of competition. The Cavaliers came back and scored 210 points in five events Thursday evening to lead the ACC Championship with 250 points. Florida State is second with 204 points and North Carolina is third with 180.50 points. Georgia Tech is fourth with 158 points and Clemson is fifth with 146. NC State (130), Virginia Tech (95.50), Maryland (92), Duke (71) and Miami (37) round out the field.

The Cavaliers went one, two, four, in the first event of the evening, the 500 freestyle. Third-year Fran Crippen (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) won his third consecutive 500 freestyle title, clocking a NCAA automatic qualifying and Georgia Tech pool record time of 4:18.58. It is the ninth consecutive year a Cavalier has won the 500 freestyle. Second-year John Millen (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) was runner-up with a NCAA “B” time of 4:21.19 to earn All-ACC honors. Second-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day) took fourth place with a NCAA “B” time of 4:24.55. Fourth-year Michael Raab (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson) and first-year Kevin Nead (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) swam in the consolation final of the 500 free and finished 15th and 16th, respectively, with times of 4:30.53 and 4:32.78.

Virginia regained the lead in the ACC Championship with a strong showing in the 200 individual medley. First-year Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) won the 200 I.M. with a pool record time of 1:46.70 and, in the process, beat three-time defending 200 I.M. champion and fourth-year teammate Bo Greenwood (Manakin, Va./Goochland). Greenwood was second with a time of 1:47.83. Both swimmers bettered the NCAA “B” standard and earned All-ACC honors. Third-year Ryan Berg (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Academy) was also a finalist in the 200 I.M. and finished seventh (1:50.78), while second-year Vanja Rogulj (Zagreb, Croatia/Split) was a consolation finalist and placed 10th (1:51.21).

In the 50 freestyle, fourth-year Luke Anderson (Charlottesville, Va./Bolles School) touched in a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 19.74, but finished second to NC State’s Cullen Jones (19.61). First-year Matt Targett (Victoria, Australia/Scotch College) was third in a time of 20.03 to capture All-ACC honors along with Anderson, who won the 50 free in 2002 and 2003. Fourth-year Brett Simon (San Mateo, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) won the consolation final of the 50 free in a time of 20.62.

In the one-meter diving competition, third-year Andrew Barber (Vienna, Va./Marshall) finished eighth with 272.00 points, while third-year Eric Kelley (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Christian School) was 11th with 266.75 points.

The Cavaliers closed out the session on a high note by winning the 200 freestyle relay with a school, pool record and NCAA “B” time of 1:19.46. Targett, Anderson, Simon and first-year Bryan Stahl (Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) swam legs on the record-setting relay. The former UVa mark was 1:19.78 set in 2002.

The ACC Championship resumes Friday (February 25) with preliminaries beginning at 11:00 a.m. and finals commencing at 7:00 p.m.

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