After four days of competition, the Massachusetts men won the Atlantic 10 Men's Swimming and Diving Championship at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The victory marks the Minutemen’s first A-10 title since 2012.
Massachusetts, who finished with 589 points, entered Saturday trailing by 45.5 points. The Minutemen got off to a quick start in the evening thanks to Alessandro Bomprezzi’s record breaking performance in the 1,650-yd freestyle (15:13.69). With the outcome still very much in the air, the UMass divers stepped up and had three performers finish in the top four including Trent Kindvall’s score of 322.5 in the 3-meter dive.
Two-time defending A-10 Champion, St. Bonaventure, finished in second with 569 points. The Bonnies were followed by George Mason (525), La Salle (449.5), Saint Louis (415), Davidson (335), George Washington (301.5) and Fordham (272.5).
Bomprezzi was honored as the Most Outstanding Performer following his record setting performances in the 500-yd freestyle (4:19.75) and the 1,650-yd freestyle. Bomprezzi finished second in the 200-yd freestyle (1:37.56) and was a part of the first place 800-yd freestyle relay team (6:31.86).
Ryan McCoy of Saint Louis was named the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer after setting a new A-10 record in the 200-yd freestyle (1:37.11). McCoy was also a member of the 400-yd freestyle relay team that won gold and two other relay squads (800-yd freestyle and 400-yd medley) that finished in third.
St. Bonaventure’s Alex Marra was named the Most Outstanding Diver of the championship. Marra won the 1-meter diving with a score of 278.05 and finished second in the 3-meter dive final with a score of 305.55.
Massachusetts’ Russ Yarworth and Mandy Hixon were both honored as A-10 Coach of the Year and Diving Coach of the Year, respectively.
2015 Men’s A-10 Swimming & Diving Awards
Most Outstanding Performer: Alessandro Bomprezzi, Massachusetts
Most Outstanding Rookie Performer: Ryan McCoy, Saint Louis
Most Outstanding Diver: Alex Marra, St. Bonaventure
Coach of the Year: Russ Yarworth, Massachusetts
Diving Coach of the Year: Mandy Hixon, Massachusetts
The University of Richmond took home the 2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championship title after four days of competition at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The title marks the Spiders’ fifth consecutive A-10 title and 13th in the last 14 years.
The Spiders finished with a total of 586 points after 20 events and overcame a two point deficit heading into the final day. Richmond started the evening off strong with the trio of Emma Terwilliger, Meredith Gouger and Molly McSweeney who finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 1,650-yd freestyle. Richmond was then led by Melissa Ross’ gold medal winning performance in the 200-yd butterfly (2:00.27).
The Massachusetts Minutewomen, leaders for the first three days of the championship, finished second with 498 team points. They were followed by Duquesne, who finished with 479 points. Dave Sheets, head coach of the Dukes was named the A-10 Coach of the Year.
Trailing Richmond, Massachusetts and Duquesne in the final standings were Davidson (437), Fordham (425), George Mason (421), La Salle (286), Saint Louis (189), Rhode Island (152), St. Bonaventure (129) and George Washington (99).
Davidson’s Elise Lankiewicz was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet after recording first place finishes in the 100-yd freestyle (49.83), the 200-yd freestyle (1:48.20), the 500-yd freestyle (4:50.36) and being a member of the three gold medal winning relay squads (200-yd freestyle, 400-freestyle, and the 800-yd freestyle).
Richmond’s Annie Lane was named Most Outstanding Rookie after winning the 100-yd breaststroke (1:02.61). She also recorded a second place finish in the 200-yd freestyle and was a part of two second-place relay finishes (200-yd freestyle relay and the 200-yd medley relay).
Richmond’s Irina Chiulli was honored as the Most Outstanding Diver after finishing first in the 3-meter dive with a score of 314.70. She also recorded a fifth place finish in the 1-meter dive with a score of 245.15.
Massachusetts’ Mandy Hixon was named the Diving Coach of the Year.
2015 A-10 Women’s Swimming & Diving Awards
Most Outstanding Performer: Elise Lankiewicz, Davidson
Most Outstanding Rookie Performer: Annie Lane, Richmond
Most Outstanding Diver: Irina Chiulli, Richmond
Coach of the Year: Dave Sheets, Duquesne
Diving Coach of the Year: Mandy Hixon, Massachusetts
George Washington
The George Washington men's swim and dive team set records in the men's 100-yard freestyle and 400- free relay while sophomore Carly Whitmer broke GW's women's record for the 200- butterfly on the final day of the 2015 Atlantic 10 Championships at the SPIRE Institute on Saturday. Junior Oliver Keegan reached the podium for his performance in the men's 200-yard butterfly.
Massachusetts won the meet on the men's side with 589.5 points, ahead of St. Bonaventure (569), George Mason (525), La Salle (449.5), Saint Louis (415) and Davidson (335). The Colonials finished in seventh with 301 points, beating out eighth-place Fordham (272.5).
Richmond claimed the women's title with 586 points, ahead of Massachusetts (498), Duquesne (479), Davidson (437), Fordham (425), George Mason (421), La Salle (286), Saint Louis (189), Rhode Island (152) and St. Bonaventure. GW rounded out the field with 99 points.
Junior Oliver Keegan earned a bronze medal in the men's 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:48.45 to reach the podium for the Colonials. Senior Goran Koprivnjak finished close behind, grabbing fourth-place in 1:48.75. Sophomore Ben Fitch took ninth overall in the event with a runner-up finish in the consolation final while setting a new personal-best of 1:50.05.
Whitmer set the first new school-record of the evening after reaching the consolation final in the women's 200- butterfly. Whitmer finished first in her heat, good for ninth overall, with a GW- and personal-best time of 2:02.18. Whitmer was also the previous record holder, after posting a time of 2:02.49 in 2013.
The Colonials set two more records within a single swim, as the men ended the night with a record-breaking performance for the second day in a row. The team of freshmen Adam Drury and Gustav Hokfelt, sophomore Bogdan Balteanu and Koprivnjak finished the 400- free relay in 3:01.09 to best the previous mark of 3:01.74 set in 1999. In his opening-leg performance, Drury erased GW's record for the 100- free, completing his swim in 45.13, edging the previous best time of 45.18.
Seniors Adam Rabe and Joe Lipworth, Hokfelt and Drury earned spots in the individual evening races as well as a result of their preliminary times.
Hokfelt and Lipworth each set personal bests in the men's 200- backstroke consolation final, as Hokfelt won the heat (1:47.63) and Lipworth finished sixth (1:50.57).
Rabe competed in the championship finals of the 200- breaststroke and nearly reached the podium, but was disqualified after what would have been a third-place performance.
Drury placed second with a time of 45.35 in the B final of the men's 100- free, good for ninth overall.
In the 1,650- free, which partially took place before the evening session, junior Hannah Schaefer finished in 13th overall for the women with a time of 17:13.36 while sophomore Liam Huffman placed eighth on the men's side in that event (15:51.28).
The Colonials complete the Championships having set four new program records, with a new 400- medley relay best set on Friday.
Richmond
Richmond swimming and diving captured its fifth consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference Championship, and 13th in the previous 14 seasons, Saturday night at the SPIRE Institute.
The Spiders, who trailed by two points coming into the evening, won by 88 over second-place Massachusetts. Richmond freshman Annie Lane (Vinton, Virginia . William Byrd HS) won the league's Outstanding Female Rookie Performer award and sophomore Irina Chiulli (Westwood, Massachusetts), fresh off her 3m gold on Friday, was awarded the A-10 Outstanding Diver award, a first for a Richmond diver.
This is the second-straight senior class that has won an A-10 Championship for the duration of their career at UR.
