Fordham Picked to Win Atlantic 10

Fordham has been selected to claim its first-ever Atlantic 10 women’s swimming & diving title in voting conducted by the league’s head coaches. 
 
The Rams finished second at last year’s Championship – their highest finish in program history – with 549.5 points, while Richmond seized its eighth consecutive A-10 crown with 742.0 points.  Fordham is led by senior Caitlin Napoli, who won both the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.55) and 500-yard freestyle (4:52.07) events at the 2009 Championship, and sophomore Courtney Collyer, who was tabbed the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie a year ago after claiming gold in the 200-yard butterfly (1:59.96) and 400-yard individual medley (4:22.16).
 
Led by three-time 100-yard backstroke champion Alex Helland, Richmond is picked second, followed by Duquesne, Massachusetts, La Salle, Xavier, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, George Washington and Rhode Island.  
 
The 2010 Atlantic 10 Swimming & Diving Championships will be held Feb. 17-20 at the Flickinger Aquatics Center in Buffalo, N.Y.   
 
2010 Women’s Swimming & Diving Predicted Order Of Finish
(2009 Championship results in parentheses)
1. Fordham (2nd)
2. Richmond (1st)
3. Duquesne (3rd)
4. Massachusetts (4th)
5. La Salle (5th)
6. Xavier (7th)
7. St. Bonaventure (6th)
8. Saint Louis (8th)
9. George Washington (9th)
10. Rhode Island (10th)