Men’s swimming splits three-team meet
In its final meet before the Atlantic 10 Championships in February, the men’s swimming and diving team defeated the University of Maryland Baltimore County and lost to the Naval Academy in a three-team competition at UMBC’s pool Saturday.
GW earned a 138-95 victory over UMBC, but lost 126.5-114.5 to Navy. The three squads competed simultaneously, but the points were awarded as if each team was facing the other two in head-to-head competition.
Sophomore Tim Champney led the Colonials by posting outright victories over both UMBC and Navy in two races. He won the 50-yard freestyle in a time of :21.47 and the 100-yard freestyle in a time of :46.64.
Sophomores Nick Hopman and Rush Taylor, and freshman Wesley Teter also earned victories over both squads. Hopman won the 200-yard backstroke in 1:54.16, Taylor won the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:05.45 and Teter took first place in the 100-yard freestyle in 9:45.32.
GW jumped in front against UMBC with a victory in the 400-yard medley relay and never looked back. UMBC closed to within 64-63 halfway through the meet, but the Colonials came back by winning the final six events.
GW, after falling behind to Navy early, came back to take the lead at 84.5-83.5 with first-, second- and fourth-place finishes in the 200-yard backstroke. Navy regained the lead in the next event, the 500-yard freestyle, and held on for the victory.
The Colonials will not be back in action again until the A-10 Championships Feb. 19-21 in Buffalo, NY.-Dustin Gouker
Gymnastics loses at Kentucky
A team score of 49.45 on the floor exercise lifted the University of Kentucky to a narrow 194.325-191.525 victory over the GW women’s gymnastics team Friday in Lexington, Ky.
The Colonial women trailed by only a single point, 144.875-143.075, going into the meet’s final event, the floor exercise. However, Kentucky had the top five scores on the floor exercise, led by Ashley Burkholder’s 9.975. The Lady Wildcats outscored GW 49.45-48.45 in the event to hold on for the win.
In the meet’s other three events – the vault, uneven bars and balance beam – GW matched Kentucky score for score. Alexis Hrynko led GW on the vault with a score of 9.8, placing her third overall in the event. However, Burkholder (9.875) also had the top score on the vault for Kentucky.
Lisa Gruber had the Colonial women’s highest score on the uneven bars. Gruber’s score of 9.65 placed her third in the event behind Kristen Hoeferlen and Beth Cluxton of Kentucky.
GW will next compete in the University of New Hampshire Invitational Feb. 7.
-Dave Mann
