University of Massachusets Athletics
Both Men's And Women's Swimming & Diving Teams In First Place After Second Night At Atlantic 10 Championships
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Feb. 16, 2001
Men's standings after second night: UMass 572, St. Bonaventure 434, GW 315, Fordham 242, La Salle 235, URI 200, Xavier 166, Duquesne 165.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After the second of three nights of competition at the 2001 Atlantic 10 Championships, the University of Massachusetts men's and women's swimming and diving teams are currently in first place. The men are in first place with 572 points with St. Bonaventure in second with 434 points, while the women lead with 504 points with George Washington in second with 483.5 points.
Senior Chris Arsenault (Peabody, Mass.) won the 100 fly with a time of 48.41, which is an A-10 and school record. The old A-10 record of 48.80 was set in 1982. This is Arsenault's fifth career A-10 individual title. Senior Billy Brown (Fullerton, Calif.) won the 400 IM with a school-record time of 3:56.48 to win his third A-10 individual title, while he also placed second in the 100 breast with a NCAA consideration time of 55.98.
The 200 medley relay team of sophomore Ryan Zaucha (Auburn, Calif.), senior Mike Sabina (Avon, Mass.), senior Joe Martin (Naugatuck, Conn.) and junior Ryan Fisher (Santa Barbara, Calif.) won the event with a school record time of 1:32.08. UMass won the other relay event of the night when the 800 free relay team of sophomore Rob Bellamy (Columbia, Md.), sophomore Tommy Keane (Melrose, Mass.), sophomore Chad Arnold (Mohnton, Pa.) and Arsenault captured the title with a time of 6:44.01.
UMass dominated the 100 fly behind Arsenault's win as they took the first four spots. Martin placed second (50.94), Arnold placed third (50.96) and freshman Conner Townsend (Memphis, Tenn.) placed fourth (51.17).
The Minutemen were strong in the 100 back with sophomore Justin Houck (Wyomissing, Pa.) placing third with a time of 51.59 and Zaucha placing fourth with a time of 51.66. Freshman Peter Tawczynski (Holden, Mass.) had a strong swim in the 400 IM with a second place time of 4:02.66, while Bellamy earned a third place time of 1:40.61.
Women's standings after second night: UMass 504, GW 483.5, St. Bonaventure 417, La Salle 261.5, Fordham 252, URI 227, Xavier 202, Duquesne 146.
The 200 medley relay team of freshman Lauren Rowell (Hamburg, N.Y.), freshman Christen Dexter (Centerville, Mass.), junior Andrea Kazanjian (Troy, N.Y.) and sophomore Molly Buckley (Taunton, Mass.) won the event with a school record time of 1:47.88.
"The 200 medley relay team really lifted us tonight," said head coach Bob Newcomb. "All four swimmers swam great and especially Buckley who had a phenomenal anchor leg to secure the win."
Dexter placed second in the 100 breast with a school record time of 1:05.36. The school record was previously set by senior Sarah Newell (Dillsburg, Pa.) with a time of 1:06.76 last season. UMass was strong in this event with sophomore Lauren Bulkeley (Virginia Beach, Va.) placing third with a time of 1:07.72 and Newell placing fourth with a time of 1:07.78.
Junior Anne Dettloff (Barrington, Ill.) had a strong swim in the 200 free with a second-place time of 1:55.54, while Kazanjian did the same in the 100 fly with a second-place time of 58.02.
Junior Becky Hunnewell (Sandwich, Mass.) placed fourth in the 100 back with a time of 59:03 which ranks second all-time at UMass, while sophomore diver Kate Allery (South Hadley, Mass.) placed fourth in the one-meter event with a score of 331.10. Senior diver Robin Velona (Belmont, Mass.) placed seventh in the one-meter with a score of 317.60.
"It's a fun feeling going into the last day with the lead, but tomorrow is a big day and we need to swim our best to win this title," said Newcomb.
The event concludes tomorrow as the Minutemen look for their fourth A-10 team title and the Minutewomen seek their first ever title.