UM Swimming & Diving Hosts Final Home Meet
Jan. 16, 2009
Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami swimming & diving team hosts their final home event of the year on Saturday, January 17 playing host to Central Connecticut State at the Whitten University Center Pool beginning at 1 p.m. The meet also serves as Senior Appreciation Day for four swimmers of the Hurricanes squad.
Miami enters the weekend owning an 8-5 record in dual races, as well as their fifth place finish in the Ohio State Invitational. Head swimming coach Christie Shefchunas will be looking for unyielding performances from several student-athletes as the course has switched from 100s in the strokes to 200s. This is the third time this year UM’s course has moved to 200s in stroke events at home. Shefchunas is positive this could lead to great things if UM can continue their solid swimming from the previous weekend.
“I’m very happy with how the girls swam against Kansas,” expressed Shefchunas, now in her third year at the helm of the swimming program in Coral Gables. “We seem to be getting better every time we swim. The girls have been working so hard through holiday training, and I’m confident that they’ll step up and have a great meet.”
In the diving well, freshman Kelci Bryant should return this weekend after missing last weekend’s meet due to soreness, while junior All-American Brittany Viola was alive and well last weekend with a sweep in the 1-meter and 3-meter events. Viola is looking for her first back-to-back sweep of events at home this season. She swept both events against Florida Atlantic on November 8.
This is the first-ever meeting between Central Connecticut State and Miami, and just the second-ever meeting between the `Canes and a team from the state of Connecticut all-time. The last meeting was a 136-101 victory for Miami over Big East foe UConn back on January 22, 2000 in Coral Gables.
The Blue Devils come into Saturday’s race sporting an even 4-4 overall record, as well as having finished sixth in the Terrapin Invitational in November. This week, senior Erin Crowley and freshman Mallory Miller each swept Northeast Conference honors with Swimmer and Rookie of the Week accolades. The Blue Devils last event came a week ago with wins over Vermont and Holy Cross, respectively.
This weekend serves as Senior Appreciation Day for four swimmers and one diver on the Orange and Green roster. Swimmers Britta Boesing, Katie Eason, Sarah Lozier and Meredith Hatic (a junior graduating early) are taking part in their last home event as Hurricanes, while diver Jenna Dreyer is doing the same.
Dreyer could miss this weekend’s event due to soreness, but is preparing for the All-Star Diving Invitational scheduled for February in Orlando, Fla. Dreyer has already qualified for the NCAA Zone `B’ Diving Championships, also held in mid-February, on both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards. She currently holds the top dives for UM in both events, individually, on the year.
Miami fell in their last home event, 142-97, to the University of Kansas in a non-conference matchup at the Whitten Pool last weekend. Miami swimmers turned in seven Top 10 seasonal performances, including Annika Saarnak in the 100 freestyle and Britta Boesing in two events. Ryann Labreche also had top times in both the 500 and 1000 freestyle. Viola swept the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events for the second consecutive home event.
The race, originally scheduled to be shown live via ACC Select, will now be shown by VOideon On-Demand (VOD), shortly after the match has concluded. This is due to the fact that live streaming capabilities are not available for Saturday’s race.
Admission to the event is free and everyone is invited to attend. Race programs are available at the scorer’s table located directly behind the diving boards/platform. For more information regarding Miami swimming & diving, please locate your internet browser to www.hurricanesports.com.
