400-yard Freestyle Relay Team Sets a New School Record, Women Finish Seventh at CAA Championships
February 26, 2011
Photos Courtesy of UD Media Services
• Full CAA Results Day 4
• Final CAA Champ. Results
• CAA Team Scores - Final
• Top 20 Individual Point Scorers
• CAA Video Recap
FAIRFAX, Va. - - A late surge moved the University of Delaware men’s swimming and diving team up two spots from the end of Friday to finish third at the 2011 Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by George Mason. The women held tight at seventh place at meet’s end.
Ryan Roberts beat the field in the 200yard backstroke event, claiming his first individual CAA Championship, and set a new Delaware school record in the process. He beat teammate Matt McCarthy by almost two whole seconds, finished the Championship Heat in 1:47.59. McCarthy placed second in 1:49.61 and Craig Young finished fifth in the same event to spring board the Blue Hens to third place by day’s end. They sat in fifth at the end of Friday’s competition.
The men also reclaimed their 400-yard freestyle relay championship, bringing it home to Newark for the fourth year in a row. This edition consisted of Paul Gallagher, Grady Carter, Zach Shiavo, and Roberts, who won it in an NCAA ‘B’ Cut time of 2:59.89 and gave the Blue Hens 40 more points, but not enough to take over second place from George Mason in the final standings.
In addition to McCarthy’s second place finish, Josh Hyman continued his late season surge, as he broke his own Blue Hen record in the 200-yard breaststroke by over two seconds, claiming a second place finish. He touched home in 2:00.32, but was still three and a half second behind champion and CAA Championship Meet record holder Arni Arnason of Old Dominion.
The men had an overall strong performance on Saturday, as they had the most competitors in the Championship Final then on any day. Craig Young and Schiavo placed fifth in their individual events while Michael Wodoslawsky, Andrew Speese and Brian Coonce gained valuable points in sixth place. Carter also had an individual seventh place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, gaining 12 points.
It is the fourth year in a row that the men finished third at the CAA Championships.
On the women’s side, it was the second year in a row the Blue Hen placed seventh as a team.
On Saturday, senior Cortney Barry (above right) placed sixth in the 1650-yard freestyle event to lead Delaware. She finished in a season best 16:48.98, and still currently holds the women’s record in the event, which she set in 2008-09.
Another women’s record was broken on Saturday, however. In the final event of the four day meet, the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Donna Healy, Tori Gillespie, Erinne Butler, and Meghan Barber finished in 3:26.42, setting the new mark by .27 seconds.
Roberts finished in a tie for 10th in the top 20 of individual point scorers. He finished with 40 points, tied with Michael Baric of UNC Wilmington. There was a three-way tie in first between Preston Wolter (Mason), Arnason (ODU), and Austin Witherow (Mason) who all claimed 60 points. Josh Hyman was the only other Blue Hen on the list, coming in a tie for 12th with 39 overall points.
On the women’s side, there was also a two way time atop the leader board with 60 points. Meredith Budner (Towson) and Ashley Danner (Mason) each scored 60 points and share the top individual honor.
Towson took home their fourth straight women’s team title with 700 points. James Madison palced second (607.5) while UNC Wilmington came in third 532.5.
It was more of the same on the men’s side as UNC Wilmington took home their tenth straight team championship with 702 points. George Mason was behind them in second with 617 points, and Delaware in third with 564 points.
AGATE:
University of Delaware of Delaware at the CAA Championships
Delaware Men Top Finishers: First Place: Ryan Roberts (200-yard Backstroke, 1:47.59, 20 pts – School Record); 400-yard Freestyle Relay (Gallagher, Carter, Schiavo, Roberts, 2:59.89 ‘B’, 40 pts); Second Place: Matt McCarthy (200-yard Backstroke, 1:49.61, 17 pts); Josh Hyman (200-yard Breaststroke, 2:00.32, 17 pts – School Record); Fifth Place: Craig Young (200-yard Backstroke, 1:50.56, 14 pts); Zach Schiavo (100-yard freestyle, 45.37, 14 pts); Sixth Place: Michael Wodoslawsky (200-yard Breaststroke, 2:03.59, 13 pts); Andrew Speese (200-yard Butterfly, 1:50.60, 13); Brian Coonce (3-meter Diving, 283.60, 13 pts); Seventh Place: Grady Carter (100-yard Freestyle, 45.45, 12 pts).
Delaware Women Top Finishers: Sixth Place: Cortney Barry (1650-yard Freestyle, 16:48.98, 13 pts); Seventh Place: 400-yard Freestyle Relay (Healy, Gillespie, Butler, Barber, 3:26.42, 24 pts – School Record)
Men’s Team Standings:
1. UNC Wilmington – 702; 2. George Mason – 617; 3. Delaware – 564; 4. Old Dominion – 533.5; 5. William & Mary – 477.5; 6. Drexel – 250; 7. Towson – 152.
Women’s Team Standings:
1. Towson – 700; 2. James Madison – 607.5; 3. UNC Wilmington – 532.5; 4. William & Mary – 408; 5. Old Dominion – 397; 6. George Mason – 304; 7. Delaware – 258; 8. Northeastern – 227; 9. Drexel - 143
