Swimming & Diving heads to A-10 Championships
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Massachusetts seeks its
fourth consecutive men's crown while Richmond looks to capture its
Championship-record ninth straight women's title at the 2010
Atlantic 10 Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Championships,
to be held Feb. 17-20 at the Flickinger Aquatics Center in Buffalo,
N.Y.
Richmond claimed its eighth consecutive title a year ago as the
Spiders broke multiple A-10 records and turned aside runner-up
Fordham by a score of 742.0-549.5. Richmond is led by senior Katie
Sieben, who won five gold medals in the 2009 A-10 Championship and
holds A-10 records in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard
freestyle relay.
Fordham's second-place finish was tops in program history. The
Rams recently capped off its first undefeated season in program
history and are anchored by freshman Brienne Ryan, the first female
swimmer in A-10 history to earn six Rookie of the Week honors.
Joining Fordham in its attempt to unseat Richmond are Duquesne,
George Washington, La Salle, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Saint
Louis and Xavier.
On the men's side, Massachusetts claimed its eighth A-10 men's
title in the past nine years after holding off St. Bonaventure,
720.5-540.0, at the 2009 Championship. The Minutemen have captured
11 league Championships, the most of any program in the Conference.
UMass is led by sophomore Jason Cook, the defending champion and
A-10 record holder in the one-meter and three-meter diving
events.
St. Bonaventure senior Mariusz Michalik seeks to win his fourth
consecutive 200-yard breaststroke title and help the Bonnies
challenge Massachusetts for the title. Duquesne, third-place
finishers a year ago, is led by senior Edward LeBlanc and sophomore
Roman Becicka. LeBlanc was the 2009 A-10 champion in the 200-yard
freestyle, while Becicka owns school records in the 200-yard
medley, 400-yard medley, and 1,650-yard freestyle events.
Joining Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne in the quest
for the title are Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, Saint Louis
and Xavier.
The Championship commences at 4:30pm on Wednesday, Feb. 17, with
the trials of the men's one-meter diving competition, followed by
the finals of the men's and women's 200-yard medley and 800-yard
freestyle relays at 6:30pm, along with the finals of the men's
one-meter diving competition. The Championship continues at 10:30am
on Thursday with time trials, followed by the finals at 6:30pm. The
same schedule will be followed on Friday and Saturday.
For complete coverage of the 2010 Atlantic 10 Men's and Women's
Swimming & Diving Championships, including live results, log on
to www.atlantic10.org
