The UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams captured the 2009 George Mason Patriot Invitational crowns Sunday in Fairfax, Va. The men, who claimed their fourth straight title finished with 922.5 points, while women, who scored 1,006 points, won their second title in three years. In the women’s mile, junior Rebecca Godwin (Catonsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep) won the gold in 17:08.13, while freshman Amy Fay (Haverhill, Mass/Haverhill) touched third in 17:29.80. Junior Mat Carson (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute) was the top finisher in the men’s mile in 16:21.97.
In the men’s 1-meter diving, freshman Andrew Eckhoff (Chelmsford, Mass/Chelmsford) capped an impressive weekend with a fourth-place finish with 253.90 points.
Sophomore Nour Saad (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) earned the silver in the men’s 200 back in 1:49.78, while fellow sophomore Kelsey Fitzpatrick (Delran, N.J./Delran) led the Retriever women, finishing fourth in 2:05.75.
In the women’s 100 free, senior Sam Maccherola (Woolford, Md./South Carroll/Tennessee) claimed the silver in 51.50, while sophomore Abbey McKenney (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) touched fourth in 52.47. Junior Eric Jones (Gambrills, Md./Arundel) was the top male in sixth in a time of 46.74.
Senior Tereza Kaplanova (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium J.G. Jankovskeho) won the women’s 200 breast in a time of 2:19.10, while junior Philip Novotny (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) earned the bronze in the men’s race in 2:07.59.
The Retriever women went 1-2-3 in the women’s 200 fly with senior Jennifer Esposito (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst/C.W. Post) winning the gold in 2:02.06. Senior Lindsay Sherman (Bethany, Conn./Amity) and junior Sarah Ryan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Oceanside) claimed the silver and bronze, respectively. In the men’s 200 fly, freshman Sandy Haibel (Rockville, Md/Richard Montgomery) swam the ninth fastest time in UMBC history, finishing fourth in 1:52.44.
In the final event of the meet, the women’s 400 free relay team of Maccherola, sophomore Erin Wohlers (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker), and freshmen Ashley Miller (New Smyrna Beach, Fla./New Smyrna Beach) and McKenney claimed silver in 3:28.88, while the men’s 400 free relay of Jones, junior Zach Vonder Haar (Gahanna, Ohio/Columbus Academy) and freshmen Herol Marjak (Harjumaa, Estonia/Tallinn Sec Science School) and Steve Gallagher (Sinking Spring, Pa/Wilson) earned bronze in 3:07.25.
This was the final meet of 2009 for both teams with UMBC’s next meet coming on Jan. 9 at home against Drexel and Howard at 1 p.m.
