Hurricanes Journey to Atlanta for Five-Team Invitational
Nov. 14, 2008
Coral Gables, Fla. – The Hurricanes swimming and diving team heads to the heart of Georgia this weekend where they will be one of five teams participating in this year’s Georgia Tech Fall Invitational at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Joining UM will be New Orleans, Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern and host Georgia Tech.
UM head coach Christie Shefchunas, now in her third year at Miami, is excited about this year’s trip to Georgia Tech. For Shefchunas, her optimism is heavily improved this season about her team’s capabilities for this weekend’s action.
“This weekend is going to be a great chance for us to practice being in a `championship setting’ with so many teams competing,” admits Shefchunas, making her third trip to Atlanta for the annual event. “It will be great to watch the team step-up and go against some great competition, obviously from ACC foe Georgia Tech, and Western Kentucky has a very strong program this year as well. The girls have been working hard physically and also mentally. They’re really starting to believe that they belong in the upper-tier of the ACC, and this weekend will be a great chance for them to step-up and show that.”
Among those student-athletes that has prepared extremely hard, and wants to show her improvement, is senior swimmer Britta Boesing. Boesing owns the team’s fastest time so far this year in the 100-yd backstroke, and four of the top five in the 200-yd backstroke. Not ending there, the Germany native also holds four of the top five times for UM this season in the 200-yd breaststroke.
“I’m excited for this weekend,” stated Boesing. “Everybody is doing so well lately, and I can’t wait to see the hard work pay off. Georgia Tech has a fast pool, and the meet will be a great opportunity to show what we are capable of.”
Boesing and the rest of the `Canes enter this Saturday’s meet with the momentum of a solid victory over south Florida rival, the Florida Atlantic University Owls last weekend. All-American sophomore diver Brittany Viola took first in both the 1 and 3-meter event, while sophomore swimmer Annika Saarnak notched an impressive victory in the 200-yd freestyle. They look to add to their win total by spoiling Georgia Tech’s Parent’s Weekend Meet and ending Western Kentucky’s undefeated streak.
The meet will feature 16 events (200 medley relay, 1000-free, 200-Free, 100-back, 100-breast, 200-fly, 50-free, one meter diving, 100-free, 200-back, 200-breast, 500- free, 100-fly, three meter diving, 200-IM and 200-free relay).
Record Setting: The Hurricanes have now achieved record-setting performances either in season or career fashion in each of the last three meets. Last week against FAU, Dana Hatic recorded a career-best in the 200-yard breaststroke and Annika Saarnak earned a season-best in the 100-yard freestyle.
