W&L Men, Mary Washington Women Split

WThe Washington and Lee men’s and women’s swimming teams split with visiting Mary Washington to open the 2008-09 season. The W&L men came away 170-92 winners, while the women fell 152-110.

10 event victories (eight individual, two relays) highlighted what was a solid opening meet for the W&L men’s swim team. Junior Winston Stagg (Midlothian, Va./Governor’s School) won both the 100 breast (1:02.79) and the 200 breast (2:18.65) as well as taking part in the 200 medley relay that won with a time of 1:38.53 to lead the Generals. Joining Stagg on the medley relay team were first-year Brian Stirling (Skillman, N.J./Montgomery), junior Brandon Barnds (Mission Hills, Kan./Shawnee) and senior Paul Crook (Nashville Tenn./Montgomery Bell). The team of Crook, Stirling, senior Brett Tatman (Marietta, Ga./George Walton) and first-year Bradley Harder (Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow) captured the 400 free relay in a time of 3:18.67.

Other individual winners for the men included junior Dan Austin (Terrace Park, Ohio/Mariemount) in the 1000 free (10:19.51), Crook in the 200 free (1:44.15) and the 500 free (4:47.99), Harder in the 100 back (55.52), first-year Ryan Hartman (Yorktown, Va./Grafton) in the 200 butterfly (2:00.66), first-year Christopher Washnock (Greer, S.C./Greenville) taking the 200 back in 1:59.61.

On the women’s side, first-year Dana Fredericks (Yorktown, Va./York) was a two-time winner in her college debut. Fredericks took the 100 breast in 1:10.41 and followed that up with a win in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:18.25.

Senior Lindsey Strachan (Midlothian, Va./Governor’s School) was also an individual winner for the women, taking the 200 back in 2:13.80.

The women are in action next Saturday when they host the ODAC Fall Invitational, while the men return to the pool on October 31, when they travel to Transylvania.