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Oct. 14, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams opened their 2005-06 season by hosting highly regarded Florida Friday afternoon (October 14) and the Gators handed both UVa teams their first loss of the season. The Cavalier men fell to Florida 137-101 at the UVa Aquatic and Fitness Center, while the UVa women lost 133-105. The meet was also the season-opener for Florida.
The Virginia men won only three individual events in its 137-101 loss to the Gators. Fourth-year Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) picked up a pair of victories and also finished second in a third event. Crippen led one-two Virginia finishes in the 1000 and 500 freestyles with times of 9:08.62 and 4:27.87, respectively. Third-year John Millen (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) was runner-up to Crippen in both events. Millen clocked a time of 9:18.79 in the 1000 free and 4:28.31 in the 500. Crippen also took second place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:51.66. Second-year Vanja Rogulj (Zagreb, Croatia/Split) rounded out UVa’s individual event winners with his victory in the 200 breaststroke. His time of 1:59.35 was nearly five seconds faster than second-year Ryan Hurley’s (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) runner-up time of 2:04.20. Rogulj also helped the Cavaliers’ 400 medley relay take second place with a time of 3:21.05. First-year Bjorn Falk (Wilton, N.H./High Mowing), third-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day), and fourth-year Ethan McCoy (McMinnville, Ore./McMinnville) joined Rogulj on the medley relay.
Fourth-year diver Andrew Barber (Vienna, Va./Marshall) recorded two second-place finishes in the diving competition. He tallied 283.05 points on the one-meter board and 259.43 points in the three-meter competition. Florida’s Jonathan Wilcox swept the diving competition with 322.58 and 330.98 points on the one and three-meter boards, respectively.
Florida’s Ryan Lochte set a pair of UVa pool records in leading the Gators to the win. He set the pool mark in the 100 backstroke with his leadoff split of 47.24 in the 400 medley relay. His time of 1:42.90 in the 200 back bettered the former pool record by one tenth of a second. Darian Townsend won the 200 free (1:38.76) and 100 free (51.06) for the Gators.
The UVa women won three events in their 133-105 loss to Florida. In her first collegiate meet, first-year diver Jackie Apple (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) swept the one and three-meter diving competitions. Apple totaled 253.73 points in claiming the top spot on the one-meter board and 259.20 points in winning the three-meter competition. Fourth-year Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel) earned the Cavaliers’ other win in the meet. Burke led a one-two UVa finish in the 1000 free with a time of 9:56.91. Third-year Rory Schmidt (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia) was second in the 1000 with a time of 10:04.40. Burke was also second in the 500 free as she touched in a time of 4:54.68.
Second-years Jess Lewis (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Anna Steenrod (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin) also picked up a second-place finishes for UVa. Lewis touched in 24.10 in the 50 free, while Steenrod clocked a time of 2:04.68 in the 200 individual medley. Steenrod also posted a time of 2:19.03 in the 200 breaststroke, the second fastest time overall, but earned first-place points because Florida exhibitioned the event. The Cavaliers’ foursome of third-year Katy Bland (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville), second-year Amber Bialas (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood), second-year Stephanie Glover (Raleigh, N.C./Athens Drive) and first-year Kristen Wallace (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) clocked a time of 3:31.60 in the 400 free relay to capture first-place points (Florida exhibitioned the event).
Florida’s Jamie Reid picked up a pair of individual event victories. She won the 200 I.M. with a time of 2:04.27 and also won the 200 backstroke (1:59.51).
UVa returns to the pool on Saturday, October 29 when it travels to Clemson for a noon meet against the Tigers.