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Virginia Opens 2010-11 Campaign Monday at Florida
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams open the 2010-11 campaign Monday at Florida. The meet is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natatorium in Gainesville, Fla.
Both the Cavalier men’s and women’s squads are coming off their third consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference titles. The women qualified a school-record 16 swimmers for the NCAA Championships, where the squad finished in ninth place. A total of 12 of those student-athletes return this season.
The Virginia men, who finished 10th at NCAAs, qualified eight swimmers for the national meet, six of which return. Both UVa squads also welcome 11 newcomers to the roster.
Senior Scot Robison, the 2010 ACC Swimmer of the Championships, was recently named to the United States National Team in the 100-meter freestyle. He won the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events at the conference meet last February and swam on all four of UVa’s winning relay teams.
Sophomore Lauren Perdue was named both the 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year and Swimmer of the Championships after a stellar rookie campaign. Like Robison, she claimed the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events and was part of four of Virginia’s five championship relay teams. Freshman Rachel Naruath joined Robison on the U.S. National Team (in the 200-meter butterfly) and will swim her first collegiate meet against the Gators.
The Florida women won the 2010 NCAA Championship, while the men recorded a fifth-place finish. Both Gator squads opened the season last weekend with first-place performances at home in the inaugural All-Florida Invitational.
UF boasts three swimmers who join Naurath and Robison on the 2010-11 U.S. National Team, including senior Conor Dwyer, the 2010 NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year. He made the national team roster in the 200 and 400 freestyle and 200 individual medley events.
Florida junior Teresa Crippen, younger sister of UVa senior Claire Crippen, earned a spot on Team USA in the 200 backstroke, 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley. Freshman Elizabeth Beisel, a 2008 Olympian, was selected in the 100 and 200 backstroke and 200 and 400 individual medley events.
In the all-time series, Virginia has yet to defeat Florida in dual-meet competition. Both the UF men and women hold an 8-0 advantage over the Cavaliers. Last year in Charlottesville, the Gator men defeated UVa 159-141 while the Florida women won 166.5-131.5.