Hurricanes Take Third Place Finish At BIG EAST Championships

Feb. 22, 2003

Complete Results

EAST MEADOW, NY (www.hurricanesports.com) – – The University of Miami women’s swimming and diving team finished third in the BIG EAST Championships Saturday in East Meadow, NY, with 469 points.

“Overall we did a tremendous job in both swimming and diving,” coach James Sweeney said. “They worked hard this season and it was great to see the benefits of that.”

Sweeney made special mention of the seniors’ overall efforts during the season, citing their “determination, leadership, and pride.”

Notre Dame finished in first place (730 points), while Rutgers took second (580).

Hurricane swimmer Manon Van Rooijen (Westdorpe, Holland) successfully defended her 100-yard freestyle event with a time of 49.34. Van Rooijen set the BIG EAST Championships record in the event last season with a time of 49.11.

“(Van Rooijen) just continued with her winning ways,” Sweeney said. “She’s really focused and I had every confidence that she was going to win that race.”

Teammate Christine Wiliams (Trenton, NJ) came in third in the same event (50.59). Sweeney stressed that Williams’ performance in the BIG EAST Championships was exceptional.

In the 200 butterfly, UM’s Adrien Ferguson (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished in fifth (2:03.17) and Elaine Schwartz (Mt. Laurel, NJ) took sixth (2:03.32).

The Hurricanes’ 400 free relay of Williams, Schwartz, Megan Kinsella (Calgary, Canada), and Van Rooijen took third (3:23.22).

Another notable performance by a Hurricane was that of Martyna Kraczyk, whose time in the consolation heat of the 200 breaststroke would have won the preliminary round race (2:16.08).