University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Pittsburgh/Villanova/Maryland
Four Spiders Post Top-Three Finishes at Pitt
01/14/2012 | Women's Swimming & Diving
PITTSBURGH - Four Spiders touched in for top-three finishes on Saturday as Richmond Swim & Dive wrapped up its first meet of 2012 at Pitt's quad dual meet. The Spiders defeated Villanova 187-162 while falling to the host Panthers 240-113 and Maryland 242.5-104.5.
"We're much better now than in our last meet in November and we expect much more of ourselves now," said head coach Matt Barany. "While we have progressed, I also think this was an average return to action. I don't think we're close to where we need to be, and I think the women know that. But we were better today, and this provides us direction moving forward."
After turning in a pair of top-three performances on day one, sophomore Mali Kobelja (Fort Wayne, Ind./R. Nelson Snider) returned to the water to take second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.55. The sophomore standout also clocked a 2:22.19 to capture third in the 200 breast with classmate Erin Brady winning the opening heat of the race with a 2:23.36.
Kobelja would join forces with senior Jill Smaniotto (Millville, N.J./Millville) and juniors Lauren Hines (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) and Mina Vucic (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) to open the morning with runner-up honors in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:52.11. After Smaniotto finished the third leg in a virtual tie with the Pitt flyer, Vucic swam a strong final 25 of her free to secure the second-place finish for the Spiders.
Hines would follow that up by clocking a 2:03.57 for a runner-up showing in the 200 back, while freshman Allison Titley (Richmond, Va./Saint Gertrude) finished fourth in the 200 fly with a time of 2:06.14.
Senior Charlotte Brackett (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) sprinted to a second-place finish in the 50 free, turning in a time of 23.99 in the race. Classmate Liz Cohan (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) was the runner-up in the opening heat of the 50 free (24.82) with sophomore Laura Jordan (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep) touching in just behind to tie for third (24.87).
Brackett was back at it with Hines, Cohan and Vucic in the 400 free relay. The quartet combined to close out the dual meet with a third-place showing in the event with a time of 3:32.19.
"This weekend's meet does two things for us as a team," added Barany. "It refocuses us on the little things we need to do every day to be better and sparks more hunger for the next couple of weeks. We have our only second-semester home meet this coming weekend. It's our senior meet and we have a bunch of alumni coming in. We should be better, but it's now time for the women to begin proving that and they'll have a chance to do so at home this weekend."
Richmond returns to the water on Saturday, Jan. 21 when it welcomes Rutgers to the Robins Center Natatorium at noon. The team will also celebrate "Senior Day" with a short ceremony prior to Saturday's meet.
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Players Mentioned
