Feb. 19, 2011
2011 Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships: Day Three Results
Lewisburg, Pa. -- The Navy men and Colgate women led wire-to-wire and were crowned Patriot League Swimming and Diving Champions Saturday night at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa.
The Mids finished with a championship meet-record 1,056 points, ahead of rival Army, which captured 603.5 points for second place. It's a record eight straight men's titles for the Naval Academy, which has won the championship every year since joining the League in 2004. It's the third straight year in which Navy has set a record for points at the championship meet. Bill Roberts was named Men's Coach of the Year.
For the Raiders, it's their third League championship in four years and first since 2009. Fernando Canales was named Women's Coach of the Year in his first season heading up the Colgate program after being hired in August. Senior Erin McGraw was honored as the Female Swimmer of the Meet, while sophomore teammate Kim Pilka was named Female Diver of the Meet.
Three Navy swimmers garnered individual awards. Freshman Zach Ingold was named Male Rookie of the Meet, Rheanna Vaughn was tabbed Female Rookie of the Meet and junior Mac Anthony was named Male Swimmer of the Meet.
Army's Ron Kontura was named Diving Coach of the Year for the second straight championship. He's the award's first back-to-back winner since Navy's Joe Suriano in 2007-08. Army sophomore Chris Nguyen was selected as Male Diver of the Meet.
Fifteen marks were broken during Saturday's finals session, but the day's record-setting action started in the morning during the preliminaries. McGraw became the top qualifier in the finals of the 200-yard backstroke with a prelim time of 1:58.50, which broke her own Patriot League, championship meet and Kinney Natatorium records set at the 2009 championships (1:58.67).
Colgate's Erin McGraw became the top qualifier in tonight's 200 back with a prelim time of 1:58.50, breaking her own Patriot League, PL Championship and Kinney Natatorium records (1:58.67; 2009). In the finals, McGraw destroyed her morning time, clocking a 1:56.39.
Navy's Laura Gorinski posted the fast time in the prelims of the 200 breaststroke with a clocking of 2:12.08, which was one-hundredth of a second faster than her own Patriot League record she'd set in December. Her time bettered the championship meet and pool marks set by Colgate's Emily Murphy at the 2009 championships. Gorinski won the event Saturday night in 2:12.83.
Navy's Luke Hoffer concluded the record-setting performances in the morning when he became the top qualifier in the men's 200 breaststroke when he logged at time of 1:59.72, setting the League championship and pool marks. Teammate Pete Donahue captured gold in the event Saturday evening with a time of 1:59.95.
Colgate's Erica Derlath broke the League and championship records in the 1,650 free when she posted the fastest time of 16:24.83. Navy's Tara Chapmon had set the mark at last year's championships with a 16:25.55. Derlath's victory started the Raiders off on the right foot Saturday evening as they kept putting pressure on the defending champion Midshipmen.
Nguyen's record-setting performance from the one-meter board helped propel Army to a second-place finish in the men's competition. The sophomore posted a 398.35, which set the League and championship meet records. Later in the evening, Pilka duplicated the double record-breaking effort with a 308.05 in the women's three-meter competition, setting the updated marks League and championship meet history.
Vaughn's selection as Female Rookie of the Meet was no doubt spurred on by her record-setting performance in the 200 fly. She took gold in 1:58.77, setting the trifecta record for League, championship meet and pool marks. She improved her time from her seed clocking of 1:58.84, which was the League mark she'd set in December.
The final records to fall Saturday night were in the men's 400 free relay. Navy had long sewn up the title by this point, but the Mids posted a 2:56.76 in the event to shatter the League, meet and pool records to cap off the championship in convincing fashion.
Select swimmers and divers from the Patriot League will participate in the ECAC Swimming and Diving Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa., beginning Friday and lasting through Sunday.
The 2012 Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships will take place at Navy's Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Md.
Day Three winners are posted below, along with the major award winners and the team standings.
Day Three Winners
Women's 1,650 Freestyle - Erica Derlath, Colgate - 16:24.83 (B) & ^
Men's 1,650 Freestyle - Justin Vagts, Navy - 15:04.11 (B)
Men's One-Meter Diving - Chris Nguyen, Army - 398.35 (Z) & ^
Women's 200 Backstroke - Erin McGraw, Colgate - 1:56.39 & ^ %
Men's 200 Backstroke - Mac Anthony, Navy - 1:47.13
Women's 100 Freestyle - Allison Ranzau, Navy - 50.39
Men's 100 Freestyle - Zach Ingold, Navy - 44.15 (B)
Women's 200 Breaststroke - Laura Gorinski - 2:12.83 (B)
Men's 200 Breaststroke - Pete Donahue, Navy - 1:59.95 (B)
Women's 200 Butterfly - Rheanna Vaughn, Navy - 1:58.77 (B) & ^ %
Men's 200 Butterfly - Mark Meyer, Navy - 1:44.80 (B)
Women's Three-Meter Diving - Kim Pilka, Colgate - 308.05 (Z) & ^
Women's 400 Freestyle Relay - Colgate (McGraw, Hunter, Santoro, Guyett) - 3:23.51 (B)
Men's 400 Freestyle Relay - Navy (Ingold, Linn, Anthony, Aiken) - 2:56.76 (B) & ^ %
& - Patriot League record
^ - Patriot League Championship record
% - Kinney Natatorium record
(B) - NCAA `B' time
(Z) - NCAA Zone qualifier
Men's Coach of the Year Bill Roberts, Navy
Women's Coach of the Year Fernando Canales, Colgate
Diving Coach of the Year Ron Kontura, Army
Male Swimmer of the Year Mac Anthony, Navy, Jr.
Female Swimmer of the Year Erin McGraw, Colgate, Sr.
Male Rookie of the Meet Zach Ingold, Navy, Fr.
Female Rookie of the Meet Rheanna Vaughn, Navy, Fr.
Male Diver of the Meet Chris Nguyen, Army, So.
Female Diver of the Meet Kim Pilka, Colgate, So.
Team Standings - Final
Women
1. Colgate - 862
2. Navy - 760
3. Bucknell - 581.5
4. American - 332
5. Army - 323.5
6. Lehigh - 230
7. Lafayette - 226
8. Holy Cross - 144
Men
1. Navy - 1,056 *
2. Army - 603.5
3. Bucknell - 566
4. Lehigh - 380
5. Colgate - 363
6. American - 201
7. Lafayette - 183.5
8. Holy Cross - 130
* - Patriot League championship record