Virginia Swimming And Diving Teams Close Out Dual Meet Season With Wins Over Maryland
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Feb. 4, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams wrapped up the dual meet portion of their seasons by cruising to victories over Maryland Saturday (Feb. 4) at the Campus Recreation Center Natatorium. The 13th-ranked Cavalier men won 11 of 13 events in their 134-84 win and improve to 9-3 overall and 5-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The 18th-ranked UVa women won 8 of 13 events in its 124-84 win to improve to 6-3 overall and 5-0 in the ACC. The Maryland men drop to 3-8 overall and 0-7 in the ACC, while the Terrapin women fall to 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC.
The UVa men had eight different swimmers and divers win individual events, including fourth-years Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) and Andrew Barber (Vienna, Va./Marshall) who both won a pair of events. Crippen won the 200 free (1:40.02) and led a top-four UVa sweep in the 200 butterfly (1:52.01), while Barber swept the one and three-meter diving events. Barber set the school record on the three-meter board with his score of 339.52 points, breaking Pete Amstutz’s 2004 mark of 336.83 points. He also totaled 292.87 points in winning the one-meter competition.
The Cavaliers opened the meet by winning the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:24.37. Second-year Bryan Stahl (Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands), second-year Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic), first-year Lee Robertson (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro), and third-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day) swam legs on the winning relay. Hirniak also won the 500 free (4:33.80), while Mellors was second in the 200 free (1:40.27) and 200 back (1:49.27). Robertson took second place in the 200 butterfly (1:52.32) as well.
Fourth-years Ryan Berg (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) and Ethan McCoy (McMinnville, Ore./McMinnville) earned wins in the final collegiate dual meet. Berg led a top three Cavalier sweep in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:52.84, while McCoy touched first in the 100 freestyle in 46.70. Other event winners for Virginia included: first-year Stefan Bartl (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) in the 1000 free (9:38.15); second-year PJ Sullivan (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan) in the 200 breaststroke (2:01.59); and first-year Bjorn Falk (Wilton, N.H./High Mowing) in the 200 backstroke (1:48.87).
The Virginia women had six different swimmers take home event victories. Second-year Jess Lewis (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) won a pair of individual events for the Cavaliers and also swam a leg on a winning relay. Lewis took the 100 and 200 freestyles with times of 50.67 and 1:50.58, respectively, and also swam on the 400 free relay that posted a winning time of 3:25.03. Second-year Stephanie Glover (Raleigh, N.C./Athens Drive), third-year Katy Bland (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville), and first-year Megan Evo (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves) joined Lewis on the winning 400 free relay.
Four UVa fourth-years captured victories in their final dual meet. Katie Gordon (Winter Park, Fla./Trinity Prep) won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:04.67 and Brielle White (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside School) won the 200 backstroke (2:03.07). Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel) was victorious in the 500 free (4:56.98) and fourth-year Elaine Bennett (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) touched first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:02.57.
First-year Anne Dawson (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) was UVa’s other event winner as she won the 1000 free with a time of 10:16.76. Dawson was also second in the 500 free (5:05.18) and the 200 fly (2:06.33). Gordon was also runner-up in the 200 back with a time of 2:05.39 and Burke took second in the 200 free (1:51.97). Bennett was also second in the 200 breaststroke in 2:17.38. In addition to swimming a leg on UVa’s winning 400 free relay, Evo was second in the 200 I.M. with a time of 2:05.04.
The Virginia women return to College Park in two weeks to compete in the 2006 ACC Championship, which will be held February 15-18. The men’s ACC Championship will take place at Maryland February 22-25.