University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Atlantic 10 Championship
Swim & Dive Sweeps Relays,Breaks Pool Records
02/21/2013 | Women's Swimming & Diving
GENEVA, Ohio- The Spider Swim & Dive team won both the 200 medley relay and the 800 medley, while Katherine Cook took fifth place in the one-meter diving to kick off the first day of the Atlantic 10 Championships.
"We swam eight different people tonight and that's always our goal because half our team now has their first swim behind them," said head coach Matt Barany.
Cook and teammate Erica Elias started the day for the Spiders with the 1-meter diving prelims. Cook advanced to the finals after finishing second overall in prelims with a score of 243.50. Elias took 10th (185.45) out of a field of 19.
Cook completed her evening on the boards in fifth place posting a score of 229.30.
Spider swimming started the meet off making a statement. Lauren Hines, Mali Kobelja, Kelley Yang, and Mina Vucic joined forces in the 200 medley relay. Hines led off the relay with a strong 50 back split (24.95). Kobelja leapt in keeping the Spiders neck and neck with Fordham. Yang flew into the pool for the fly, clocking an incredible 23.71 split. Her split was the fastest 50 fly split recorded in the event. Vucic finished strong in the free for the Spiders recording a time of 22.85.
The relay defeated nearest competitor Fordham by over a second and a half. The group's finish of 1:39.51 was three one hundredths shy of the Atlantic 10 record, but shattered the previous pool record of 1:49.32.
The Spiders combined experience with freshmen youth in the 800 free relay. Freshman Natalya Ares led off the relay. For the first time in her career Ares broke the 1:50 mark with a time of 1:49.11. Her finish broke the Spider freshmen record in the 200 free.
Freshmen Molly McSweeney, also broke her career best time of 1:58.05 with a time of 1:51.20. Allison Titley kept the Spiders ahead of rival relay, UMass, and junior Jessie Krebs brought the race home for the team. The relay, also, squashed the previous pool record.
"Our 800 free relay was unique because we put two freshmen on it when we could have put some upperclassmen on it, but I think the freshmen stepped up," said Barany
The Spiders sit in second place with 101 points behind UMass with 155 points. The Minutewomen swept the diving events. Richmond will be back in action tomorrow in the 500 free, 200 I.M., and 50 free.
Stay up to date on the latest Spider Swim and Dive Atlantic 10 Championship news at A-10 Championship Central on RichmondSpiders.com.
Players Mentioned
