Virginia Swimming And Diving Teams Compete In UGA Fall Invitational
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Dec. 2, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. – After a nearly three week layoff, the Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams returned to the pool Friday (December 2) for the first of three days of competition in the UGA Fall Invitational at Gabrielsen Natatorium. The two UVa squads turned in several outstanding performances against some of the top teams in the nation. Due to a computer glitch team scoring in unavailable.
In addition to the 13th ranked UVa, the men’s meet features 10th-ranked Tennessee, 11th-rated Georgia, Harvard and South Carolina. The 20th-ranked Virginia women are battling against top-ranked Georgia, sixth-rated California, seventh-ranked UCLA, South Carolina and Miami University.
In the men’s competition, fourth-year Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) and second-year Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) both turned in a runner-up finish for Virginia. Crippen clocked a season-best and NCAA “B” qualifying time of 4:22.82 to take second place in the 500 free. Mellors placed second in the 200 individual medley with a season-best time of 1:48.42 (NCAA B).
Third-year John Millen (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) was right behind Crippen in third place in the 500 free with a time of 4:25.26 (NCAA B). UVa took third place in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:18.39. First-year Bjorn Falk (Wilton, N.H./High Mowing), third-year Vanja Rogulj (Zagreb, Croatia/ Split), third-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day) and fourth-year Ethan McCoy (McMinnville, Ore./McMinnville) swam legs on the 400 medley relay. McCoy, third-year Greg Imboden (Chattanooga, Tenn./McCallie), second-year Bryan Stahl (Woodlands, Texas/Woodlands) and Rogulj teamed to finish fifth in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:23.47. Fourth-year Andrew Barber (Vienna, Va./Marshall) took ninth place in the three-meter diving competition with 268.15 points. The Cavaliers had four swimmers compete in the “B” final of the 200 individual medley. Second-year PJ Sullivan (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan) was 11th (1:52.80), first-year Tony Colella (Austin, Texas/Westwood) placed 13th (1:54.08), fourth-year Ryan Berg (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) took 14th (1:54.12), and second-year Ryan Hurley (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) was 15th (1:54.82).
In the women’s meet, second-year Anna Steenrod (Charlotte, N.C/Charlotte Latin) registered the Cavaliers’ top finish on the night. She was fourth in the 200 individual medley with a season-best and NCAA “B” qualifying time of 2:02.91. Fourth-year Katie Gordon (Winter Park, Fla./Trinity Prep) was UVa’s other individual swimmer to compete in an “A” final. Gordon was eighth in the 500 free with a time of 4:54.51 after touching in 4:52.13 (NCAA B) in the prelims. Gordon was also 10th in the 200 I.M. in a time of 2:04.18 (NCAA B), while fourth-year Elaine Bennett (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) was 12th with a time of 2:04.81. Fourth-year Rachael Burke (Bethesda Md./Good Counsel) lowered her season-best time in the 500 free to 4:47.70 (NCAA B) while finishing 10th. Third-year Rory Schmidt (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia) was 11th in the 500 free (4:54.67). In the one-meter diving competition, first-year Jackie Apple (New Albany, Ohio/ New Albany) finished in ninth place with 241.30 points.
UVa placed fifth in both the 200 free and 400 medley relay. In the 200 free relay, the foursome of third-year Katy Bland (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville), second-year Jess Lewis (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), second-year Stephanie Glover (Raleigh, N.C./Athens Drive), and first-year Kristen Wallace (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) posted a time of 1:35.25. In the 400 medley relay, fourth-year Brielle White (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside School), Steenrod, Bennett and Lewis finished with a time of 3:46.54.
The UGA Fall Invitational continues Saturday (December 3) with prelims at 9:30 a.m. and finals at 5:00 p.m.