Women in Third, Men Tied for Sixth After Day One at CAAs

02/22/06 11:00PM

FAIRFAX, VA - After the first day of the Colonial Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships, William and Mary’s women’s team sits in third place of 75 points, and the men’s team is tied for sixth with 54 points. Four-time defending champions UNC Wilmington for the men and George Mason for the women sit atop their respective races.

Headlining the performances for the Tribe was the women’s 200 medley relay, which used the combined talents of Meredith David (Somerdale, NJ), Kelly Reitz (Chesapeake, VA), Whitney Pezza (Warrenton, VA), and Megan Sculley (Sinking Spring, PA) to take a very-close second in a time of 1:46.68 behind UNC Wilmington’s quartet, separated by a mere 36 hundredths of a second. The team also came close to breaking the school record in the event, which was set last year at the CAA meet (1:46.46). In the women’s 800 free relay, Marnie Rognlien (Nokesville, VA), Sculley, and Sara Fitzsimmons (Lorton, VA) swam solid legs to keep within striking distance of the leading teams, and anchor Marina Falcone (Potomac, MD) blistered the final 200 yards in a split that was over a second and a half faster than any swimmer from any team, to move the Tribe to third place and come within 3 hundredths of a second of beating out Davidson for the runner-up spot. Rounding out the women’s competition, senior captain Laura Hodulik (Mt. Laurel, NJ) posted an 11-dive score of 224.85 to take ninth in the three meter diving event, just missing advancing to the finals by one spot.

On the men’s side, the 200 medley relay, crewed by seniors Jake Albright (Carlisle, PA), Jeff Clark (Virginia Beach, VA), Evan Elsaesser (Reston, VA), and Bobby Jacobsen (Williamsburg, VA), took sixth in a time of 1:35.87. The 800 free relay team performed comparably, overhauling Towson in the final 400 yards and holding off a late James Madison charge to take fifth in 7:00.33. That team was comprised of Alex Jendzejec (Reston, VA), Brandon Paster (Fairfax, VA), Nader Amer (Yorktown, VA), and Shane Kelsey (Baltimore, MD).

Competition continues tomorrow, starting at 10 AM with the preliminary trials of the 500 free, 50 free, 200 individual medley, and men’s one meter diving. The finals of those events, plus the 400 medley relay, will begin tomorrow night at 6 PM. The top 16 in each swimming event advance to the finals, eight to the championship finals and eight to the consolation finals.