Feb. 27, 2008

FAIRFAX, Va. - After the first day of the 2008 Colonial Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships at the Jim McKay Natatorium, the George Mason women's swimming and diving team sits atop the standings, while the men's squad is in third place. Mason's team score of 109 on the women's side is 30 points higher than the second-place UNC Wilmington Seahawks. On the men's side, the Patriots are just 10 points behind the two-way tie between UNCW and Old Dominion, who lead with 74 points.

On a day when a number of pool and championship records fell, the Patriots did not record an event victory but finished in the top three of all but one event. The championship's first final was held in the women's 200-yard medley relay, and Mason's team of sophomore Jessica Jacoby, junior Mary Beth Cheslock, senior Sarah Bizer and sophomore Caitlin Impink marked a fourth-place finish with a school record time of 1:44.64.

In other women's action, Mason notched a 2-3 finish in the 3-meter diving competition, as freshman Lisa Faulkner picked up silver with a score of 294.00, while senior Amanda Fielding garnered third place with a 280.50 mark. The second relay event of the championship was the 800-yard freestyle relay, and another school record fell as Mason's squad of sophomore Claire Weems, Impink, freshman Jenny Kane and senior Mallory Pucci finished third with a time of 7:25.20. Weems set a school record with her leadoff split of 1:51.72 as well. In that competition, Towson's winning time of 7:20.88 set a meet record and was an NCAA B-cut.

On the men's side, both relay squads finished in third place. Sophomore Ryan David, junior Eric Knight, sophomore Tad Ogren and freshman Spencer Roe swam to a bronze-medal time of 1:31.77 in the 200 medley relay, a school record performance. Knight's 1:38.44 leadoff time in the event set a new school record for the 200-yard freestyle. The UNCW winning time of 1:30.83 broke the meet record as well.

In the evening's final race, the 800 free relay competition, Knight, senior Matt Kane, freshman Zachary Hamlin and sophomore Steven Benecki combined to finish in third place with a time of 6:45.38.

The four-day championship continues tomorrow, with trials set for 10 a.m. and finals scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m.

Licensed to George Mason University             Hy-Tek's Meet Manager 2/27/2008
                    2008 CAA Swimming & Diving Championship
                  Sponsored by Marriott Hotels of N. Virginia
                        Team Rankings - Through Event 6
                              Women - Team Scores
            Place School                                          Points
       ===================================================================
                1 GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY            GMU             109
                2 UNC-WILMINGTON                     UNCW             79
                3 NORTHEASTERN                       NU               75
                4 DELAWARE                           DEL              74
                4 TOWSON UNIVERSITY SWIMMING         TOWS             74
                6 DREXEL UNIVERSITY                  DREX             69
                6 WILLIAM AND MARY                   W&M              69
                8 JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY           JMU              64
                9 OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY            ODU              50
                               Men - Team Scores
            Place School                                          Points
       ===================================================================
                1 UNC-WILMINGTON                     UNCW             74
                1 OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY            ODU              74
                3 GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY            GMU              64
                4 DELAWARE                           DEL              60
                5 DREXEL UNIVERSITY                  DREX             54
                5 WILLIAM AND MARY                   W&M              54
                7 TOWSON UNIVERSITY SWIMMING         TOWS             48