University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
A-10 Championship - Day Three
Swimming Leads After Day Three, Breaks A-10 400 Medley Relay Record
02/22/2008 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Feb. 22, 2008
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The University of Richmond swimming team kept its pedal on the metal Friday night, winning three more individual events and broke the Atlantic 10 record in the 400 medley relay to remain in first-place heading into the final day on Saturday. The Spiders lead second-place Xavier 465-331, with third-place Duquesne 161 points back.
The Spiders brought the third night of competition to a close by crushing the field in the 400 medley relay, breaking the three-year-old mark also held by Richmond. The team of Alex Helland, Lauren Beaudreau, Katie Sieben and Jessica Witt won in a time of 3:46.54 and won by nearly five seconds.
"It was exciting the way we finished the night with that relay," said head coach Matt Barany. "Those four girls have trained together all summer and have put together some special relays in their career, but that was probably their most memorable in how they won it."
Witt got things started for the Spiders earlier in the evening by winning the 400 IM in a time of 4:22.80, which represents an NCAA "B" qualifying standard.
Sieben captured gold in the 100 fly in a time of 55.19, while freshman Nicole LePere finished seventh in the event (57.68). That time is a personal record for the rookie and ranks seventh all-time at Richmond.
In the 100 back, Helland was one of three Spiders to finish in the points and was clocked in 56.62 to win the gold. Beth Ann Platt finished fifth (58.06) and Kylie Francis set a personal-best to finish sixth (58.12)
The 200 free and 100 breast represented the first individual events of the Championship not won by the Spiders. Hannah Marlow was seventh (1:54.18).
Beaudreau was out-touched at the wall in the 100 breast by St. Bonaventure's Anne Johnson by .31 seconds. Beaudreau took the silver (1:03.78) and Cara Smaniotto sprinted into medal contention with a time of 1:04.87 - good for the bronze.
With six swimming events to be contested on Saturday's final day, the Spiders lead with 465 points. Xavier (331), Duquesne (304), Fordham (273) and Massachusetts (271) round out the top five.
"We've been working for the last six months for tomorrow," said Barany. "We haven't clinched anything yet, we have to stay motivated and hungry and our girls have done that."
