University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Swimming Gears Up For Tennessee
10/13/2004 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 13, 2004
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond's swimming and diving team, picked to win the 2005 Atlantic 10 Championships for a fourth-consecutive season, begins its 2004-05 campaign Friday evening against the Tennessee Lady Vols at the Student Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn. Friday's meet, which begins at 7 p.m., will be the first of seven head-to-head or triangular competitions the Spiders will take part in during the 2004-05 schedule.
"We are really excited to finally be competing," head coach Matt Kredich said. "Swimmers are used to a lot of training, but we are eight weeks into the season and the kids are chomping at the bit to race."
Richmond is led by senior Mary Adams (Williamsburg, Va.) and junior Brooke Boncher (West Newbury, Mass.), both NCAA Championship qualifiers in 2004. Adams took part in the 200 and 400 IM in last season's NCAA's, while Boncher placed in the Top-10 of the 100 fly. Boncher also competed in the Olympic qualifiers and ConocoPhillips National Championships this past summer.
"Both (Adams and Boncher) have been very good in practice so far this year," Kredich added. "We are looking to them to provide competitive leadership at this meet."
The meet at Tennessee will begin a string of three events for Richmond prior to 2005, and provides a competitive atmosphere for the Spiders according to Kredich.
"We made a real effort to upgrade our schedule this year," Kredich said. "We are striving to give our team more of a constant sense of national-level competition."
The Spiders will look to others, besides Adams and Boncher, in this weekend's meet, including junior Kate Hibbard. The Belmont, Mass., native was injured most of the 2003-04 season, but has shown great things in preseason practice and will help the team in the back and free events.
Junior captain Anne Kirchner, who was the Atlantic 10 Champion as a freshman in the 1650 free, will also be key in Richmond's arsenal Friday night.
Several newcomers will also help the Spiders in Knoxville this weekend. Jessica Witt, a native of Fullerton, Calif., will swim the freestyle events, and Andrea Denney (Hockessin, Del.) will compete in the breaststrokes.
Kredich feels Richmond's divers, sophomore Maggie Maranda and freshman Erin Barry, may have the toughest assignments this weekend.
"Tennessee's divers are outstanding," Kredich said. "We have made it a goal to rise to the level of our best competitors. This should be a great chance to do just that."
