Virginia Competes at Virginia Tech Wednesday

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams continue the 2009-10 season with a dual meet Wednesday at Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers and Hokies will square off at 5 p.m. from War Memorial Pool. No live results will be available.

Both the UVa men’s and women’s squads are coming off a close dual meet loss to Florida in the season-opener on Oct. 7.

“We didn’t pick an easy first opponent to open our ACC schedule,” Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. ” Virginia Tech is coming off a very impressive performance at UNC last week. Like us, they were tested against a veteran opponent. I think they have learned a lot about their personnel, in addition to having a positive racing experience, as did we against Florida.

“Any time you go to Blacksburg with ‘Virginia’ written across your shirt, you better be ready to do battle.”

Senior John Azar (100 breast, 200 breast) and junior Matt McLean (500 free, 1000 free) led the Cavalier men against the Gators as double-event winners, while first-year Christine Olson (100 breast, 200 breast) paced the women with two first-place finishes of her own.

Other event winners for the Orange and Blue included Liz Shaw (200 fly), Lauren Perdue (50 free), Mei Christensen (200 back), Lauren Smart (100 fly) and Scot Robison (100 free). The team of McLean, Robison, Peter Geissinger and David Karasek also won the 400 free relay with an NCAA provisional time of 3:00.52.

Several Cavaliers also achieved NCAA ‘B’ cuts in the season opener, including Robison in the 100 free (44.37) and 200 free (1:37.37), McLean in the 500 free (4:27.66), Perdue in the 50 free (22.88) and 100 free (49.86), Jen Narum in the 500 free (4:51.85), Smart in the 100 back (54.22) and 100 fly (54.58), Christensen in the 100 back (54.26) and 200 back (1:56.65), Olson in the 200 breast (2:15.75) and Shaw in the 200 fly (1:59.08). Like the men, the women’s 400 free relay team of Kristen Moores, Perdue, Smart and newcomer Kelly Flynn finished with an NCAA ‘B’ time of 3:24.07.

Virginia Tech started the season with a tri-meet at North Carolina, where both the men’s and women’s teams notched a win over South Carolina (202-98 and 210.5-89.5 respectively) but suffered losses to the Tar Heels (172-128 and 182-118).

The Hokie men captured seven first-place finishes against the Gamecocks as Stephen Hawkins (100 back), Jonathan Huss (100 breast), Ryne Francis (200 breast) won individual events and the team of Charlie Higgins, Huss, Karl Botha and Richard Ulatowski combined to win the 200 medley relay. All-American Mike McDonald also won both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events.

The Tech women were able to bring in four first-place finishes as 2009 ACC Rookie of the Year Erika Hajnal won both the 100 free and 200 fly events. Kelly deMarrais also placed first in the 200 free and the team of Stefanie Dreschsel, Emily Ferguson, Kaleigh Gomes and deMarrais won the 400 free relay.

Last year in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers beat the VT men 189-108 and downed the Hokie women 188-110.