EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING FINISHES FOURTH AT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Mar. 17) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team claimed a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet, marking the eighth-straight year the Eagles have finished in the top-four nationally.

Emory finished the meet with a total of 288 points, finishing behind first-place Kenyon College (566.5 points), second-place Amherst College (341 points), and third-place Denison University (328 points).

On Saturday, the final day of competition, the Eagles had five all-American performances and four all-America honorable mention finishes.  Emory top-scoring event of the day was the 1,650-yard freestyle, as freshman Liz Horvat finished second (17:02.32) and junior Kate Gunning finished fourth (17:11.98), while freshman Amy Minowitz claimed 11th-place (17:27.51) and sophomore Natty Chalermpalanupap 13th (17:28.58) for all-America honorable mentions.

In the 200-yard backstroke, junior Tess Pasternak claimed all-America honors for the third consecutive season with a seventh-place finish (2:04.41), while Chalermpalanupap finished 16th for her third honorable mention of the meet.

In the 100-yard freestyle, Ruth Westby earned her third individual all-America certificate, finishing third in the event with a time of 51.20.  In the 200-yard breaststroke, Marie Kim claimed 16th for an honorable mention.

The Eagles concluded the meet with an all-America performance in the 400-yard freestyle relay, as Morgan Klinzing, Lillian Ciardelli, Horvat, and Westby combined for a sixth-place finish.

As the meet came to a conclusion, Westby's National Championship in the 50-yard freestyle proved to be the lone top-finish for the Eagles during the weekend. 

Emory finished the meet with a total of 25 all-America certificates (awarded for finishing in the top-eight in an event), nine for individual events, and one going to each member of four relay teams.  Westby claimed six of Emory's all-America honors, and now has 13 over the first two years of her career, the sixth-best total in school history and four shy of Hillary Lane's school record of 17 all-America honors.  Horvat recorded five all-America honors (three individual events and two relays), the third-most by a freshman in school history.  Pasternak, Ciardelli and Klinzing each had three all-America honors, while Kristin Tadano, Kim, Mary Tripp, Minowitz, and Gunning each had one.  Emory now has 160 individual all-America certificates issued over the program's history.

The Eagles also had nine all-America honorable mentions (awarded for finishing ninth through 16th in an event), all coming in individual events.  Chalermpalanupap recorded three of the honorable mentions, while Minowitz had two, and Katie Mroz, Ciardelli, Tripp and Kim each had one.

The meet marks the conclusion to the 2007-08 season for Emory women.  Emory's men will be in action for their National Championship meet starting on Thursday.

EAGLES EARN FOUR ALL-AMERICA HONORS ON DAY TWO OF WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Mar. 15) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving squad continued to rack up the honors at the NCAA Division III Women's Championships, as the Eagles came away from day two with four more all-America honors, and three all-America honorable mentions.

Emory concluded day two in fifth-place with 190 points.  Teams in front of the Eagles include first-place Kenyon College (389.5 points), second-place Amherst College (255 points), third-place Denison University (240 points), and fourth-place Williams College (193.5 points).

The Eagles opened action at the Friday finals with a sixth-place finish in the 200-medley relay, as junior Tess Pasternak, freshman Marie Kim, sophomore Lillian Ciardelli, and freshman Morgan Klinzing combined to swim a time of 1:47.50, each earning an all-America certificate.

Freshman Liz Horvat earned her second individual all-America certificate of the meet, claiming sixth-place in the 400-yard individual medley, swimming a time of 4:26.98.  Sophomore Natty Chalermpalanupap finished 13th in the event, earning an all-America honorable mention.

Ciardelli came back to represent the Eagles well in the 100-yard butterfly, recording a ninth-place finish for her first all-America honorable mention of the meet.

Emory scored well in the 200-yard freestyle as well.  Ruth Westby recorded a third-place finish for her second individual all-America certificate of the meet, setting her second school-record time of the meet, with a mark of 1:50.59.  Behind Westby was 13th-place finisher Mary Tripp, who received her first all-America honorable mention of the meet.

Rounding out the day for the Eagles individually was Tess Pasternak, whose time of 57.70 in the 100-yard backstroke was good for a fifth-place finish and an all-America certificate.

The Eagles concluded the day with a third-place finish by the 800-yard medley relay team, comprised of Tripp, Horvat, Amy Minowitz, and Westby, which set a time of 7:34.57.

The Eagles will be back in action Saturday, as they will try to climb the standings on the final day of competition at the National Championships.  Events on Saturday include the 1,650-yard freestyle, the 200-yard backstroke, the 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard butterfly, and the 400-yard freestyle relay. 

WESTBY WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 50 FREESTYLE ON FIRST DAY OF NCAAs

(Mar. 14) Emory University's Ruth Westby became the first Eagle to win an individual National Championship since 2006, claiming the top spot in the 50-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III National Swimming and Diving Championships on Thursday.

Westby set a school record in the event, swimming a time of 23.40 seconds, three hundredths of a second better than the second-place finisher.  The sophomore becomes Emory's first national champion since Samantha White claimed victory in the 500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2006 National Championship Meet, and the 17th individual National Champion overall.

Westby also paced Emory's all-American 200-yard freestyle relay team, which finished fourth in the event.  The relay, comprised of Westby, sophomore Lillian Ciardelli, and freshmen Kristin Tadano and Morgan Klinzing, recorded a time of 1:36.38 in the event's finals.

Emory was also extremely successful in the 500-yard freestyle, as freshman Liz Horvat earned her first all-America honor, finishing second overall in a time of 4:55.25, one hundredth of a second shy of the school record.  Earning all-America honorable mentions were freshmen Amy Minowitz (13th place, 5:02.77) and Katie Mroz (16th place, 5:07.91).

After one day of competition, Emory stood in fourth place with 72 points, trailing first-place Kenyon College (205 points), second-place Amherst College (122 points) and Denison University (114 points).  Action will continue from the National Championships throughout the day Friday and Saturday.

EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING TO TRY FOR ITS THIRD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

(Mar. 12) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team will be in search of its third National Title this weekend, as the Eagles will travel to Miami University (Ohio) for the NCAA Division III National Swimming and Diving Championships.  Action is slated to begin Thursday, and last through the day Saturday.

The meet will be held is Oxford, Ohio, and will be hosted by the College of Wooster.   The Emory women have won two National Championships, coming in 2005 and 2006.  Last season, the Eagles finished third at the meet, the team's  sixth-consecutive top-three finish.

Events will begin daily at 11:00 AM with the preliminary trials.  Finals for each event will start at 6:30 PM each evening.  Below is a list of Emory participants, listed by day and event, including their seed position in the event:

Thursday, March 13th
200 Freestyle Relay - Emory ranked #12
500 Freestyle - #4 Liz Horvat, #18 Katie Mroz, #26 Mary Tripp, #27 Kate Gunning, #28 Amy Minowitz
200 Individual Medley - #21 Kristin Tadano, #31 Tess Pasternak, #35 Marie Kim, #41 Ellen Flader
50 Freestyle - #4 Ruth Westby, #12 Lillian Ciardelli, #29 Morgan Klinzing
400 Medley Relay - Emory ranked #4

Friday, March 14th
200 Medley Relay - Emory ranked #13
400 Individual Medley - #5 Liz Horvat, #19 Natty Chalermpalanupap, #26 Kristin Tadano
100 Butterfly - #5 Lillian Ciardelli, #30 Morgan Klinzing
200 Freestyle - #3 Ruth Westby, #16 Katie Mroz, #14 Mary Tripp, #35 Amy Minowitz, #38 Kate Gunning
100 Breast stroke- #14 Ellen Flader, #20 Marie Kim
100 Backstroke - #13 Tess Pasternak
800 Freestyle Relay - Emory ranked #3

Saturday, March 15th
1,650 Freestyle - #3 Liz Horvat, #9 Kate Gunning, #11 Amy Minowitz, #22 Natty Chalermpalanupap
200 Backstroke - #8 Tess Pasternak, #28 Natty Chalermpalanupap
100 Freestyle - #2 Ruth Westby, #18 Morgan Klinzing, #20 Lillian Ciardelli
200 Breaststroke - #15 Marie Kim, #19 Katie Mroz, #24 Ellen Flader, #25 Kristin Tadano
200 Butterfly - #24 Mary Tripp
400 Freestyle Relay - Emory ranked #5

A DECADE OF SUCCESS: EMORY SWIMMING & DIVING WINS 10th-CONSECUTIVE UAA CHAMPIONSHIP

(Feb. 23)  Emory sophomore Ruth Westby was named the University Athletic Association's (UAA) Swimmer of the Year, and freshman Liz Horvat was named the Rookie of the Year, as the Emory Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams claimed their 10th-consecutive conference championship this weekend in Rochester, NY.

The Emory Women finished with 1,951 points, the highest championship total since the UAA converted to the three-heat format last season.  Washington University (Mo.) finished second, while New York University came in third, both squads well behind the Eagles.

On the Men's side, the Eagles scored 1,704 points, 291 points ahead of second-place Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.).  New York University finished in third place.

Westby became the first swimmer in UAA Championship history to sweep the freestyle sprint events during the meet, setting UAA meet records in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, along with a win in the 200-yard freestyle. The sophomore set NCAA automatic qualifying marks in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyles, and also swam on two winning relays for Emory, anchoring the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays.

Horvat completed her run through the championship meet with a victory in the 1,650-yard freestyle on Saturday with an automatic qualifying time of 17:18.93, to go along with her previous championships in the 500-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley.  Horvat becomes the second-straight Eagle to take home the Rookie of the Year award, which was presented to Leigh Psaris last season.

Other Emory women's championships from day three of the meet included Marie Kim in the 200-yard breaststroke, and the Eagles 400-yard freestyle relay team of Morgan Klinzing, Lillian Ciardelli, Kristin Tadano, and Westby, which recorded an automatic qualifying time of 3:30.56.

Other all-UAA honorees (top-three finishers) for the Eagles on Saturday included Ciardelli in the 100-yard freestyle and Katie Mroz in the 200-yard breaststroke.

On the men's side, Kevin Yamada claimed his third individual championship of the meet on Saturday, winning the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 2:05.97.  John Petroff also added to his championship total on Saturday, winning the 200-yard butterfly in a time of 1:52.16.

Freshman Mackenzie Perry earned all-UAA honors with a second-place finish in the in the 200-yard butterfly, while senior Steve Inacker earned honors of his own with a third-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke.  The Eagles' 400-yard freestyle relay team of Tom DiMarco, Jason Cross, Dustin Frissell, and Inacker claimed third as well in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

With conference championships in tow, the Eagles will now turn their attention towards a National Championships.  Qualifying Emory women's swimmers will head to Oxford, OH for the National Championship meet from March 13th-15th, while the men will compete from March 20th-22nd.

EMORY LEADS AFTER TWO DAYS AT THE UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS; FIVE MORE EAGLES CLAIM INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Feb. 22) The Emory University Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams extended their leads at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships on Friday, as both teams will head into the final day in first place.  In addition, Emory earned five more individual championships during day two of the meet.

The third-ranked Emory women have opened up a 385 point lead over second-place Washington University (Mo.), as the Eagles have scored 1,286 points to the Bears' 901.  New York University is in third place on the women's side, followed by Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.), the University of Chicago (Ill.), Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), the University of Rochester (N.Y.) and Brandeis University (Mass.).

The fourth-ranked Emory men have scored 1,144 points to take a 252 point lead over second place New York.  The pair is followed closely by Carnegie Mellon in third, then Washington in fourth, Chicago in fifth, Case Western in sixth, Rochester in seventh and Brandeis in eighth.

Emory sophomore Ruth Westby continued her campaign for UAA Swimmer of the Year.  After setting a conference record in the 50-yard freestyle and earning UAA Champion honors as part of the 200-freestyle and 400-medley relay teams during the first day, Westby earned her fourth UAA Championship of the weekend, claiming first in the 200-yard freestyle in an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 1:52.14.  Mary Tripp also earned all-UAA honors in the 200 free, finishing third overall with a provisional qualifying time of 1:54.76. 

Westby later earned a piece of her fifth UAA Championship, joined with Tripp, Kristin Tadano, and Katie Mroz to win the 800-yard freestyle relay in an automatic qualifying time of 7:36.81.

Freshman Liz Horvat earned her second top-UAA finish of the meet Saturday, taking first place in the 400-yard individual medley in an automatic mark of 4:28.59 seconds.  The time was half-a-second shy of the UAA record.  Sophomore Natty Chalermpalanupap and freshman Kristin Tadano finished second and third in the event to complete the Emory sweep in the 400 IM.

Other Eagles earning individual all-UAA honors (a top-three finish in an event) included senior Ellen Flader, finishing second in the 100-yard breaststroke, and junior Tess Pasternak, finishing third in the 100-yard backstroke, in addition to the Eagles' second place 200-yard medley relay team of Pasternak, Flader, Lillian Ciardelli, and Morgan Klinzing.

On the men's side, three Eagles earned the top finish in their respective events.  Sophomore Kevin Yamada claimed his second UAA Championship of the meet, winning the finals of the 100-yard breaststroke in a provisional qualifying time of 56.92 seconds.  Sophomore John Petroff finished atop the standings in the 100-yard butterfly, swimming a provisional mark of 50.26 seconds.  Rounding out the trio, Keith Diggs record a provisional mark of 4:03.16 in the 400-yard individual medley, en route to winning the event.

Sophomore Tom DiMarco earned all-UAA honors with a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, while senior Steve Inacker claimed all-UAA honors of his own, taking second place in the finals of the 100-yard backstroke.  The 200-yard medley relay squad of Scott Bobo, Yamada, Petroff and Brad Sloan and the 800-yard freestyle relay team of DiMarco, Ken Minturn, Randall Scarborough, and Diggs, each claimed all-UAA honors, both finishing second.

The Eagles will look to secure their 10th-consecutive UAA Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday, the final day of competition from Rochester.  Fans can utilize the link to the championship website above to access live results, streaming video from the event, and updated team scores. 

EMORY SWIMMING AND DIVING TAKES THE DAY ONE LEAD AT THE UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Feb. 21) The Emory Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams are in the driver's seat after one day at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, as both squads finished day one in first place.  An impressive first day for the Eagles included a UAA record-setting time for Ruth Westby, and five UAA champions.

The men have taken a narrow lead over second-place New York University, scoring 487 points to the Violets' 448.  Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) sits in third place with 431 points, followed by Washington University (Mo.) in fourth with 366 points.  The Emory women have taken a more commanding lead, garnering 607 points to hold first place after the first day.  The Eagles are followed by Washington University (430 points), New York University (381 points) and Carnegie Mellon University (367 points).

During the first day of competition, Emory's Ruth Westby set a school and a conference record in the 50-yard freestyle, swimming an automatic qualifying time of 23.67 seconds in the event, one-hundredth of a second faster than her own previous school record.  The sophomore finished first in the event, earning her first individual UAA Championship.  Sophomore Lillian Ciardelli finished right behind Westby in the 50-free, taking second-place in a provisional qualifying time of 24.20 seconds.

Freshman Liz Horvat made a strong UAA debut, claiming the 500-freestyle championship with an automatic qualifying mark of 4:59.17.  The event was one of the Eagles strongest of the meet, as Horvat was followed closely by Katie Mroz, Mary Tripp, and Kate Gunning, all who finished in the top-seven of the event with provisional qualifying times.

The Emory women also swept through the relay events, claiming first place in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay.  The combination of Morgan Klinzing, Ciardelli, Kristin Tadano, and Westby finished atop the standings in the 200-yard freestyle with a provisional qualifying time of 1:37.96, while the 400-medley relay team of Tess Pasternak, Ellen Flader, Ciardelli, and Westby finished first in a provisional time of 3:54.24.

Other all-UAA (top-three) finishers for the Emory women included Tadano and Flader, who finished two-three in the 200-yard individual medley, each with a provisional qualifying time, and Jacki Powers, who finished second in the one-meter dive with a provisional qualifying mark of 403.85 points.

Emory's men's team also had its first UAA Champion of the meet, as sophomore Kevin Yamada claimed victory in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in an NCAA ‘B' cut of 1:52.76, the fastest time by an Eagles' swimmer this season.  Sophomore Tom DiMarco finished close behind Yamada in the event, taking third-place with a provisional qualifying time of 1:54.73.

Emory senior Nick Lake earned all-UAA honors in the 500-yard freestyle, swimming a time of 4:35.66 (a provisional qualifying time) in the event.  The Eagles only other all-UAA performance of the day came in the 200-yard freestyle relay, as Dustin Frissell, Jason Cross, Steve Inacker, and Brad Sloan teamed for a time of 1:24.63 in the event, good for second place.

The Eagles will continue competition at the UAA Championships in Rochester, NY, on Friday.  Fans can follow all of the action on the UAA Championship website, the link to which is above.  Events will conclude on Saturday, as the Emory men's and women's teams will each be seeking its 10th-consecutive UAA Championship.

EMORY SWIMMING AND DIVING LOOKS FOR ITS 10th-STRAIGHT UAA CHAMPIONSHIP

(Feb. 20) The Emory University Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams will look to extend a decade of success at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships this weekend, as the Eagles will travel to the University of Rochester (N.Y.) for the annual conference championship meet.

Both the Emory Men's and Women's teams have won the UAA Championship every year since the 1998-99 campaign. 

Last season the Emory men scored 1,724 points, almost 500 more than the second-place team, New York University.  Returning champions for the Eagles from last year's meet include Bruce Milburn (1,650-yard freestyle), Scott Bobo (200-yard breaststroke), and Emory's 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams.  The Emory men's coaching staff, led by head coach John Howell, was named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.

Meanwhile, the women scored 1,887 points in last year's meet, 537.50 points more than second-place New York University.  Returning champions from the 2007 season include Kate Gunning (1,650-yard freestyle), Leigh Psaris (100- and 200-yard butterfly), Sarah Axtell (100-yard backstroke), Ellen Flader (100-yard breaststroke), and the Eagles' 200-yard freestyle relay team (which set a UAA-record time last season).  Psaris will be returning as the UAA's Rookie of the Year last season.

Fans can follow the action from the Webster Aquatic Center with live and updated results by utilizing the link to the championship website above.  Action will begin Wednesday afternoon with the diving preliminaries, followed by the start of the swimming preliminaries on Thursday morning. 

EMORY WOMEN SPLIT SWIMMING & DIVING DUAL MEET AT UNC; MEN DROP A PAIR

(Feb. 3) Competing against two of the better teams that the Eagles have faced in dual meets this season, the second-ranked Emory Women's Swimming and Diving team defeated the seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins University (Md.) 175-93 and suffered a 165-82 defeat to the 10th-ranked team in Division I, the University of North Carolina.  The Emory Men were defeated 144-136 by the third-ranked Hopkins squad, and lost 176-117 to the 15th-ranked UNC team.

The Emory women improved to 8-3 this season following the split performance.  The Eagles recorded eight provisional qualifying times during the meet, including a pair each for Ruth Westby (100- and 200-yard freestyle) and Tess Pasternak (100- and 200-yard backstroke).  Other provisional qualifiers from the meet included Ellen Flader (100-yard breaststroke), Katie Mroz (200-yard breaststroke), Liz Horvat (200-yard individual medley) and the Eagles' 400-yard freestyle relay team of Westby, Lillian Ciardelli, Amy Minowitz and Morgan Klinzing.

The men dropped to 6-4 this season following the pair of losses.  Top performers for the men's team included Harrison Brown, who finished fifth in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 52.56, and NCAA provisional qualifying time.  John Petroff also recorded a provisional qualifying time, swimming a 1:54.45 in the 200-yard butterfly, in addition to his first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly.

The Eagles will take a week off, before the squad begins its championship season.  The Eagles will next compete at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship Meet, beginning Thursday, February 21st at the University of Rochester (N.Y.).

EMORY SWIMMING AND DIVING TO FACE UNC AND JOHNS HOPKINS IN ITS FINAL DUAL MEET OF THE SEASON

(Jan. 31) The Emory University Swimming and Diving team will compete in its final dual meet of the season this weekend, as the Eagles will travel to Chapel Hill, NC to face the University of North Carolina and Johns Hopkins University (Md.) on Saturday.

The Emory men, ranked fourth in Division III, are 6-2 this season, following the team's 182-91 loss to Georgia Tech last weekend, while the women, ranked second, are 7-2 after defeating Division I Vanderbilt University (Tenn.) 173-105, but suffering a 167-78 loss to Georgia Tech.

The Eagles will be tested by their two opponents this weekend.  The matchup with Johns Hopkins will provide Division III swimming fans with a preview of the National Championship meet, with the Hopkins men ranked just ahead of the Eagles (third in the Nation), while the women are ranked seventh.  Meanwhile, North Carolina features one of the top programs in Division I, with the men ranked 15th and the women ranked 10th.

 This will be the first meeting between the Eagles and the Tarheels.  Emory has faced Johns Hopkins, a former University Athletic Association (UAA) school, five times in past dual meets, with the Emory women going 2-3 over the five meets, and the men going 0-5.

Saturday's meet is slated to begin at 11:00 AM on Saturday at the Koury Natatorium, after which, the Eagles will turn their attention to the championship season, starting with the UAA Championship Meet on February 21st.

EMORY'S DIGGS AND CIARDELLI NAMED UAA ATHLETES OF THE WEEK FOR SWIMMING & DIVING

(Jan. 31) Two members of the Emory University Swimming and Diving team were honored by the University Athletic Association (UAA) this week, as junior Keith Diggs and sophomore Lillian Ciardelli were named the conference Athletes of the Week for swimming and diving.

Diggs recorded the Eagles' lone first-place finish during Emory's dual-meet loss to Georgia Tech.  Diggs finished first in the 1,000-yard freestyle, swimming a career-best time of 9:36.25 in the event.  The junior also finished second in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing the race in a time of 4:42.29.  This is the third time this season that Diggs has been named the UAA Athlete of the Week, and the fourth time overall that a member of the fourth-ranked Emory Men's Swimming team has earned the honor. 

Ciardelli became the fifth-different Emory female swimmer to be named a UAA Athlete of the week, after setting three NCAA provisional qualifying times while competing against Division I Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt University (Tenn.).  Ciardelli finished third in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly, recording provisional qualifying times of 24.38 seconds in the former and 58.36 seconds in the latter.  The sophomore's third provisional qualifying time of the day came as part of the 200-yard medley relay team, which finished the event second in a time of 1:48.65.  Ciardelli's performance lifted the second-ranked Eagles to a 173-105 over Vanderbilt, despite a 173-105 loss to Georgia Tech.

The Emory men are 6-2 in dual meets this season, while the women are carrying a 7-2 record during the campaign.  The Eagles will compete in their final dual meet of the year on Saturday, as the Eagles will travel to Chapel Hill, NC to face Johns Hopkins University (Md.) and the University of North Carolina.

SECOND-RANKED WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING DEFEATS VANDERBILT; LOSES TO GEORGIA TECH

(Jan. 27) As the Eagles gear up for their postseason run, the Emory University Women's Swimming & Diving team turned in one of its best dual-meet performances of the season, defeating Division I Vanderbilt University (Tenn.) 173-105, and losing to Division I Georgia Tech 167-78.

Emory swimmers turned in nine provisional qualifying times while competing against some of the top swimmers in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).  The win over Vanderbilt is the first for the Eagles against the program in six meetings.

Sophomore Ruth Westby paced the Eagles, turning in three NCAA provisional qualifying times.  Westby turned in Emory's lone first-place finish, taking the top spot in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 23.80 seconds.  Westby also finished second in both the 100-yard freestyle (52.04 seconds) and as part of the 200-yard medley relay, along with Tess Pasternak, Marie Kim, and Lillian Ciardelli.

Pasternak, a junior, also claimed second place in both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke, recording provisional qualifying times in each.  Ciardelli recorded two additional qualifying times as well, while finishing third in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly.  Kim finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a provisional qualifying time of 2:26.85.

Emory freshman Liz Horvat turned in a solid performance as well, finishing third in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a season-best time of 10:29.18.  She also recorded a provisional qualifying time of 5:05.86 in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing second in the event.

With one dual meet left this season, the second-ranked Eagles record moved to 7-2 this season.  Emory will head to Chapel Hill, NC next Saturday for its final dual meet of the year against Johns Hopkins University (Md.) and the Division I University of North Carolina.

EMORY SWIMMING & DIVING TO FACE TWO DIVISION I POWER-CONFERENCE SCHOOLS

(Jan. 24) The Emory University Swimming and Diving team will face one of its biggest tests of the season this weekend, as the squad will travel across town to face the Georgia Institute of Technology.  In addition, the women's team will also be facing Vanderbilt University (Tenn.).

The Emory men, ranked fourth in Division III are coming off a 119-86 win against Wingate University (N.C.), and will enter the meet with a 6-1 record in dual meets during this season.  They will meet Georgia Tech, of the Atlantic Coast Conference in Division I, for the 18th-consecutive season, and the 20th time overall.  The Yellow Jackets hold a 17-2 advantage in the previous meetings with Emory, including a 114-89 Georgia Tech victory last season.  The Yellow Jackets are 1-6 in dual meets this season.

On the women's side, the second-ranked Eagles will enter the meet with a 6-1 record, following their 133-73 victory over Wingate last weekend.  This will be the seventh-consecutive season the two squads will face off, including a 141-100 loss last season during which the Eagles received first-place finishes from Ruth Westby (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle), Leigh Psaris (200-yard butterfly), and Tess Pasternak (200-yard backstroke).  Georgia Tech is 4-5 in dual meets this season.

Emory's women will also be facing Vanderbilt University, of Division I's Southeastern Conference.  This will be the first meeting between the two squads since the 1991-92 season.  Emory is 0-5 all time against Commodores.

Action is slated to begin at noon on Saturday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, which was the site of all the swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming competition during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.  The dual meet will mark senior day for the Georgia Tech program.  Live results from the meet will be available on ramblinwreck.com.

EMORY SWIMMING AND DIVING SWEEPS WINGATE IN DUAL MEET ACTION

(Jan. 19) Emory University Swimming and Diving ended its 2007-08 home season on a positive note, as both the Emory Men and Women defeated Division II Wingate University (N.C.) to improve to 6-1 this season.  The Eagles' Men picked up a 119-86 win over Wingate, while the Women claimed a 133-73 victory.

On the men's side, fourth-ranked Emory came away with victories in just four of the 11 events, but were able to pull out a victory against Division II's 13th-ranked team based on the team's depth.  The Eagles four victories came from Nick Lake in the 1,000-yard freestyle, Cary Burke in the 50-yard freestyle, Harrison Brown in the 100-yard backstroke, and the Eagles' 400-yard medley relay team, comprised of Scott Bobo, Kevin Yamada, Burke, and Tom DiMarco.  Also coming through with a strong showing at the meet was Keith Diggs, who finished second in the 400-yard individual medley with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:07.17.

Meanwhile, Emory dominated the women's events, winning 10 of the 11 during the meet against the 23rd-ranked Wingate.  First place finishers for the second-ranked Eagles included the 200-medley and 400-freestyle relay teams, Liz Horvat in the 400 individual medley and the 500 freestyle, Natty Chalermpalanupap in the 1,000-yard freestyle, Katie Mroz in the 200 freestyle, Ruth Westby in the 50 freestyle, Lillian Ciardelli in the 100 butterfly, Morgan Klinzing in the 100 freestyle and Tess Pasternak in the 100 backstroke.  Horvat, Pasternak and Westby each recorded provisional qualifying times during the meet.

The dual meet concludes Emory's home schedule for the 2007-08 season.  The Eagles will return to the pool next Saturday at noon, when the Emory men will face Division I Georgia Tech, while the women will face both Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.

EMORY SWIMMING AND DIVING TO HOST DIVISION II WINGATE

(Jan. 16) The Emory University Swimming and Diving team will host its final home dual meet of the 2007-08 season on Saturday, as the Eagles will welcome in the Bulldogs of Wingate University (N.C.), a NCAA Division II institution.

The Emory men's squad will enter the meet ranked fourth in Division III with a 5-1 record this season, while the Wingate men are 6-1 in dual meets, and are ranked 23rd in Division II.  On the women's side, the second-ranked Eagles are 5-1 this season, while the Bulldogs are 4-3 and ranked 13th.

This will be just the second meeting between the two squads, and the first since the 1997-98 campaign, when the Eagles swept the Bulldogs at the Woodruff P.E. Center.  The Emory men defeated Wingate 74-64, while the Emory women claimed a 95-79 win.

Action at the meet is set to begin at 1:00 PM on Saturday. 

NO. 2 EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING OPENS 2008 WITH A VICTORY

(Jan. 11) It might be a new year, but the story was the same for the Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team, which picked up its fourth-consecutive victory, defeating the University of Tampa (Fla.) 190-71.

Competing in their first meet of the 2008 portion of the season, the Eagles recorded a first-place finisher in each of the 14 events against the Division II Spartans.  The 190 points that Emory scored during the meet was a season best for the squad.

Pacing Emory during the meet was All-American sophomore Ruth Westby, who claimed first in 100- and 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly, and as part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team.  Her time of 52.91 in the 100-yard freestyle matches her third-best mark of the season, and was good for an NCAA provisional qualifying time.

Returning to the pool for the first time during the 2007-08 season, junior Tess Pasternak picked up where she left off after her All-American performance at the 2007 NCAA Division III Championships, finishing first in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, and as part of the 200-yard medley relay team. 

Other top finishers for Emory included senior Ellen Flader (200-yard breaststroke), junior Mary Tripp (200-yard butterfly), sophomores Lillian Ciardelli (50-yard freestyle) and Natty Chalermpalanupap (1,000-yard freestyle), and freshmen Liz Horvat (200-yard individual medley), Marie Kim (100-yard breaststroke) and Amy Minowitz (500-yard freestyle).  Emory also recorded the top relay teams in both the 200-medley and 200-freestyle relays.

With the victory, the second-ranked Eagles rise to 5-1 during the season, while the Spartans dropped to 3-6.  Emory will return to the Woodruff P.E. Center on Saturday, January 19th, when the Eagles will play host to Division II Wingate University (N.C.).

EMORY SWIMMING BACK IN ACTION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

(Jan. 9) The Emory University Swimming and Diving team will return to competition following the holiday break, as the Eagles will take on the University of Tampa (Fla.), a Division II institution, in a dual meet.

The Emory men's team, ranked fourth in the nation, will enter the meet with 5-0 record in dual contests this season.  The Eagles have won four-consecutive dual meets against the Spartans, and are 8-4 overall against Tampa.  Emory came away with a 144.5-111.5 victory during last season's meeting, winning nine of 14 events, including first-place finishes in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke for current sophomore Kevin Yamada.  The University of Tampa men will begin the meet with a 3-3 record this season.

The Emory women's swimming and diving team, ranked second in the nation, is 4-1 in dual meets this season, including 3-0 against non-Division I squads.  The Eagles are 7-5 all time against the Spartans, including a 140-117 victory last season.  Emory won nine of 14 events during the 2007 meeting with Tampa, including three first-place finishes for Ruth Westby (in the 50- and 100-freestyle, and the 200-medley relay), and two first place finishes for Leigh Psaris (100- and 200-yard butterfly) and Tess Pasternak (100- and 200-yard backstroke) respectively.  The University of Tampa is 3-5 in dual meets this season.

The meet, set to begin at 10:00 AM on Friday at the University of Tampa facilities, will be the first for the Eagles since both the men's and women's teams since December 1st.   

HORVAT NAMED THE DIVISION III NATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE WEEK

(Dec. 6) Emory University freshman Liz Horvat (Bettendorf, IA) was named the women's NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com, after recording five NCAA qualifying times at the Miami Invitational.

Horvat opened the meet with an automatic qualifying time of 17:16.80 in the 1,650-yard freestyle, good for a sixth-place finish.  She then recorded her second-automatic qualifying time of the meet, finishing 10th in the 400-yard individual medley with a mark of 4:28.13.  Horvat rounded out the meet with three additional provisional qualifying times, finishing fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (5:01.95), sixth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:09.42), and seventh as part of the Eagles' 400-yard freestyle relay team (3:33.60). 

Horvat helped the Eagles to a tenth-place finish at the meet.  The Eagles, ranked second in the nation following their third-place finish nationally in 2007, will resume their 2007-08 season following the winter break.

10 MORE QUALIFYING TIMES FOR EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

(Dec. 2) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team, ranked second in the nation, completed the 13th-annual Miami Invitational with nine individual qualifying times and one relay qualifying time on the final day of competition.

The Eagles finished 10th out of 16 teams, scoring 536.5 points at the meet, which consisted mostly of Division III competition.  Over all three days of the meet, Emory swimmers recorded a total of 19 individual qualifying times and three relay qualifying times, including two automatic qualifying times at the meet.

Freshman Liz Horvat concluded a tremendously successful meet, recording provisional qualifying times with a fourth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle, and a sixth-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley.  She later teamed with Morgan Klinzing, Lillian Ciardelli, and Katie Mroz on the Eagles' provisional qualifying 400 freestyle relay team.  Ciardelli would also record provisional qualifying times in the 100-yard butterfly (finishing fourth in the event) and the 100-yard freestyle (finishing 21st).  Mroz registered provisional qualifying times both the 500-freestyle and the 200-yard breaststroke.

Other provisional qualifiers for the Eagles on Saturday included freshman Amy Minowitz in the 500-freestyle, freshman Laura Bedson in the 100-butterfly, freshman Marie Kim in the both the 200-breastroke and individual medley, and both freshman Kristin Tadano and senior Ellen Flader in the 200-breaststroke.

The Miami Invitational marks the final Emory meet of the 2007 calendar year.  The Eagles will continue their 2007-08 season following the winter break, on Friday, January 11th, when the team will travel to the University of Tampa (Fla.) for a dual meet.

NO. 2 WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING DEFEATS SEWANEE 145-81

(Dec. 1) The second-ranked Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team improved to 4-1 in dual meets this season, as they defeated the University of the South (Tenn). 145-81 at the Woodruff P.E. Center.

The win marks the third-consecutive victory for the Eagles in dual meets, as they improved to 3-0 against non-Division I teams.  Emory recorded a first-place finisher in each of the 13 events during the meet.

Sophomore Ruth Westby led the way for Emory, finishing first in the 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and as part of the Eagles' 200-yard freestyle relay team.  Westby's time of 1:53.20 in the 200-freestyle was good for an NCAA automatic qualifying time, and her mark of 52.15 was a provisional qualifying time.

Other first-place finishers for the Eagles included junior Kate Gunning in the 1,000-yard freestyle, junior Sara Hostalet in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, senior Michelle Faurot in the in the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle, junior Hayley Heaton in the 100-yard breaststroke, and sophomore Leigh Psaris in the 100-yard butterfly.  The Eagles' also took first in the 200-yard medley relay.

The Eagles also made a strong showing in the diving events.  Senior Jacki Powers recorded a score of 257.40 points, good for an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, en route to winning the three-meter dive.  Sophomore Chelsea Murphy was the top-finisher in the one-meter dive with a score of 232.73.   

This was the last weekend of competition for Emory during the 2007 calendar year.  Emory will resume its 2007-08 season on Friday, January 11th, when the team will travel to the University of Tampa (Fla.) for a dual meet.

NINE QUALIFYING TIMES FOR EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING ON DAY TWO AT THE MIAMI INVITATIONAL

(Dec. 1) The second-ranked Emory Women's and Diving team continued its strong performance at the Miami Invitational, as the Eagles recorded eight individual NCAA qualifying times and two relay qualifying times on the second day of competition.

The Eagles were paced by freshman Liz Horvat, who recorded an NCAA automatic qualifying time in the 400-yard individual medley, finishing 10th in the event in a time of 4:28.13.  She later teamed with Ellen Flader, Lillian Ciardelli and Morgan Klinzing as part of the 400-yard medley relay team, which recorded a provisional qualifying time of 3:56.58, finishing sixth overall.

Emory opened Friday by recording a provisional qualifying time in the 200-yard freestyle relay, as the team of Klinzing, Ciardelli, Amy Minowitz and Marie Kim finished fifth overall in a time of 1:37.62.  Other provisional qualifiers during the second day of the meet included Ciardelli, Katie Mroz, and Kristin Tadano in the 200-yard freestyle, Flader and Kim in the 100-yard breaststroke and Ciardelli and Klinzing in the 50-yard freestyle.

The Eagles finished the second day in ninth place with 305 points, jumping two spots from the end of the first day.  The 13th-annual Miami University Invitational will conclude Saturday at the Corwin Nixon Natatorium in Oxford, OH, on the Miami University (Ohio) campus.    

TWO EMORY SWIMMERS COMPETE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MIAMI INVITATIONAL

(Nov. 30) It was quality, not quantity, that marked the first day of competition for the second-ranked Eagles at the Miami University Invitational, as both of Emory's competing swimmers recorded NCAA qualifying times in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Freshmen Liz Horvat and Amy Minowitz were Emory's two entrants in the 1,650 freestyle.  Horvat finished sixth in the event, in an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 17:16.80, while Minowitz's time of 17:28.79 was good for a NCAA provisional qualifying time and a ninth-place finish.  The pair's marks in the event were the two fastest times by an Eagle in the 1,650 freestyle this season.

Despite entering just the two swimmers on the first day, Emory was able to record 49 points, good for 11th place at the meet.  The 13th-annual Miami University Invitational will resume on Friday from the Corwin Nixon Natatorium in Oxford, OH.    

SECOND-RANKED WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING TO START A BUSY WEEKEND ON THURSDAY

(Nov. 28) It will be a split-squad weekend for the second-ranked Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team, with part of the team travelling to Oxford, OH to take part in the 13th Annual Miami University Invitational, while the remainder of the team will host a dual meet against the University of the South (Tenn.) at the Woodruff P.E. Center.

Emory will be one of 13 teams competing at the Miami University's Corwin Nixon Natatorium from Thursday through Saturday.  Nine of the 12 other teams in the field are Division I institutions, including Florida Gulf Coast University and Wright State University (Ohio), the 22nd- and 25th-ranked Division I mid major teams respectively.  Among the non-Division I teams include Truman State University (Mo.), the 12th-ranked team in Division II, and Denison University (Ohio), the third-ranked team in Division III. 

At last year's Miami Invitational, the Eagles finished sixth out of 11 teams.  However, besides the overall team results, Emory's 10 swimmers and nine relay teams will be racing the clock as they look to record qualifying times for the NCAA Division III Championship meet in March.

The Eagles will enter their weekend dual meet with a 3-1 record this season, while the University of the South is 1-1 on the campaign.  Emory defeated Sewanee 171-105 when the two teams met last season.  The meet is slated to begin at 1:00 PM at the Woodruff P.E. Center.

This weekend will mark the final meets for the Eagles for the 2007 calendar year.  Emory will return to the pool on Friday, January 11th, 2008, when the team will travel to the University of Tampa (Fla.) for a dual meet.   

TOP-RANKED EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING UPENDS DARTON 145-48

(Nov. 17) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team improved won its second-straight dual meet on Saturday, defeating Darton College (Ga.) 145-48 at the Woodruff P.E. Center.

Emory finished first in 12 of the 13 events at the meet, as they set a new season-best in points scored as a team.

Freshman Liz Horvat led the way for the Eagles, taking first place in both the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle.  Sophomore diver Chelsea Murphy recorded two first-place finishes as well, scoring 225.23 points in the one-meter dive, and 204.68 points in the three-meter dive.

Other first place finishers for the Eagles included sophomore Ruth Westby in the 100-yard butterfly (who competed in the event for the first time in her Emory intercollegiate career), freshman Morgan Klinzing in the 50-yard freestyle, freshman Amy Minowitz in the 100-yard freestyle and freshman Marie Kim in the 100-yard backstroke.  The Eagles' 200-yard medley relay team of Westby, Klinzing, Natty Charlermpalanupap, and Ellen Flader placed first as well.

The victory brings top-ranked Emory's record in dual meets to 3-1 this season.  The Eagles will have next weekend off from intercollegiate competition for the Thanksgiving break, before returning to the pool on November 29th, to compete at the Miami Invitational and the US National Meet.

NO. 1 EMORY TO HOST ITS SECOND HOME-DUAL MEET OF THE SEASON

(Nov. 14) The top-ranked Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team will look to improve on its 2-1 record in dual meets this season, as the Eagles will host Darton College (Ga.).

The Eagles will look to build upon a solid performance at the Emory Fall Invitational last weekend, when Eagles' swimmers recorded seven NCAA provisional qualifying times.  The Eagles were paced by freshman Marie Kim, who registered NCAA ‘B' cuts in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, and as part of the 400-yard medley relay team. 

Darton is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and finished seventh at the 2006-07 NJCAA Women's Swimming & Diving National Championships.  In the team's only previous meet this season, the Sewanee Invitational, the Cavaliers finished fourth out of 10 teams.

This will be the first meeting between the two squads.  The meet will be held at the Woodruff P.E. Center on the Emory University campus, starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday.

EAGLES RECORD SEVEN QUALIFYING TIMES AT THE EMORY FALL INVITATIONAL

(Nov. 11) Hosting a number of regional swim clubs for the Emory University Fall Invitational, the Emory Women's Swimming team was able to record seven NCAA provisional qualifying times, including six in individual events, and one in the 400 yard medley relay.

The Eagles came out of the gates strong at the meet on Saturday, recording a first-place finish during the first event of the first session, as Morgan Klinzing, Lillian Ciardelli, Amy Minowitz and Ruth Westby swam to victory in the 200 yard freestyle relay.  Emory went on to record four provisional qualifying times during the first session, as Liz Horvat finished seventh in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:06.73, Westby and Klinzing finished fifth and sixth in times of 24.32 and 24.43 respectively in the 50 freestyle, and the Eagles' 400 medley relay team of Horvat, Marie Kim, Ciardelli and Westby finished second with a time of 4:00.20.

In the second session, Kim returned to swim a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:07.50 in the 100 breaststroke.  The Eagles also registered the top 800 freestyle relay team and the second- and third-place 200 medley relay teams.

On Sunday, Horvat was once again one of the top Emory competitors.  During the third session, which consisted solely of the 1,650 freestyle, the freshman finished the event in a time of 17:50.14, good for sixth place.

To conclude the weekend, the Eagles had two provisional qualifiers in the fourth session, both coming in the 200 breaststroke.  Kim finished fifth in the event with a time of 2:26.69, while her fellow freshman, Katie Mroz, finished sixth with a time of 2:27.11, the exact provisional-qualification mark.  To finish the meet, the Eagles' 400 freestyle relay team of Klinzing, Ciardelli, Kristin Tadano, and Minowitz claimed third place.

The Eagles, who are the top-ranked team in Division III this season, will continue their dual-meet schedule next weekend, as Emory will host Darton College (Ga.) on Saturday at 1:00 PM.  Emory is 2-1 in dual meets this season.     

EMORY SWIMMING & DIVING TO HOST THE EMORY FALL INVITATIONAL

(Nov. 7) The Emory University Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams will welcome in a number of regional swimming clubs this weekend, as the Eagles will host the Emory University Fall Invitational this weekend.

The meet will represent a change of pace for the Eagles, who typically face other colleges and university.  However, Emory will be the only university represented at the meet, which will feature competitors ranging from 13 to 39 years old. 

It will also be the first non-dual meet the Eagles will be participating in this season.  The men are 3-0 in dual competitions this season, while the women are 2-1.

Swim clubs participating in the meet include the Nashville Aquatic Club, the Pilot Aquatic Club, the Birmingham Swim League and Swim Atlanta, along with a number of unattached swimmers.

The meet will take place throughout the day Saturday and Sunday the Woodruff P.E. Center swimming pool on the Emory University campus.   

NO. 1 EAGLES DEFEAT SCAD 107-89

(Nov. 5) The top-ranked Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team improved to 2-1 in dual meets this season, defeating the Savannah College of Art and Design 107-89 on Saturday.

The Eagles finished first in seven of the eight events that they competed in during the meet. Those races included six individual events and one relay team.

It was a day for the young swimmers to shine for the Eagles, as four freshman finished first in individual events.  Amy Minowitz claimed the top spot in the 1,000-yard freestyle, Liz Horvat took first in the 200-yard freestyle, Marie Kim was the top finisher in the 200-yard individual medley, and Laura Bedson finished first in the 200-yard backstroke.

The sophomore duo of Ruth Westby and Leigh Psaris each finished first in one event.  Westby claimed the top spot in the 100-yard freestyle, while Psaris' time of 2:09.68 in the 200-yard butterfly was good for a NCAA provisional qualifying time.

The Eagles will continue their season this weekend, when they will host the Emory Fall Invitational on Saturday and Sunday.

NO. 1 EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING TO FACE ITS FIRST NON-DIVISION I OPPONENT

(Nov. 1) Emory University, the top-ranked Women's Swimming and Diving squad in Division III, will continue their regular-season slate of dual meets this weekend, as the Eagles will travel to Savannah, GA to take on the Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.).

The Eagles will enter the meet with a 1-1 record in dual contests this season, after defeating Davidson College (N.C.), but suffering a road loss to the University of North Carolina - Wilmington last weekend.  The Bees will begin the weekend with a 2-1 record in 2007.

The Eagles have won each of the previous three dual meets with SCAD, including a 119-70 victory last season.  The SCAD Swimming and Diving program, which began varsity intercollegiate competition prior to the 2003-04 season, finished third at the 2007 NAIA National Swimming and Diving Championships.

During last year's meet, the Eagles placed the top finisher in seven of the 11 events.  Sophomore Leigh Psaris finished first in both the 200- and 100-yard freestyle, and junior Sara Hostalet, and sophomores Ruth Westby and Natty Chalermpalanupap each recorded a first-place finish as well.  The Eagles also had the top 200-yard medley relay team.

Emory will travel to Savannah, GA for Saturday's meet, which is slated to start at 1:00 PM.  The meet will be held at the Chatham County Aquatic Center.

POWERS NAMED THE UAA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK FOR WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

(Oct. 30) Emory University senior Jaqueline Powers was named the Athlete of the Week for Women's Swimming and Diving by the University Athletic Association (UAA) for her performance during the Eagles' meet with the Division I University of North Carolina - Wilmington. 

Powers was the top finisher in both the one-meter and three-meter dives during the dual meet.  Powers recorded a score of 210.08 points in the one-meter dive and followed with a first-place score of 253.05 points in the three-meter event, missing the NCAA Division III qualifying standard by 1.95 points. 

Powers scored 18 of the top-ranked Eagles' points in a 164-132 loss.  Emory, now 1-1 in dual meets this season, will face the Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) in their third dual meet of the season this weekend.

TOP-RANKED EAGLES FALL TO DIVISION I UNC WILMINGTON 164-132

(Oct. 28) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving Team suffered its first defeat of the 2007-08 season dropping a 164-132 decision to the University of North Carolina - Wilmington on the road Saturday.

The meet was the Eagles' second dual meet of the 2007 season, both coming against Division I opponents.  UNC-Wilmington, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, improved to 2-1 this season with the win, while Emory fell to 1-1.

The Eagles were led by their divers, Jacki Powers and Chelsea Murphy.  Powers finished first in both the one-meter dive and three-meter dive, recording a score of 210.08 in the former, and 253.05 in the latter.  Murphy finished in second just behind powers in both events, registering scores of 193.28 in the 1-meter dive and 225.38 in the 3-meter dive.

Sophomores Leigh Psaris and Ruth Westby were Emory's only first-place finishers in swimming events, with each recording two top finishes.  Psaris led all swimmers in the 200-yard butterfly with a season-best time of 2:06.79, and the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 58.25.  Westby finished first in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.

Second-place finishers for Emory include Liz Horvat in the 1,000-yard freestyle, Lillian Ciardelli in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle, Amy Minowitz in the 500-yard freestyle, Kristin Tadano in the 400-yard individual medley, and Marie Kim, who finished just .42 seconds behind the first-place finisher in the 200-yard breaststroke.

The Eagles also had second-place relay teams in both the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Emory will continue its 2007-08 season on the road next weekend, against the Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.).

TOP-RANKED WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING TO TRAVEL TO UNC-WILMINGTON

(Oct. 24) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving Team, ranked first in the Nation, will travel to the University of North Carolina - Wilmington, to compete in a dual meet with the Division I Seahawks.

UNC Wilmington will enter the meet with an 0-2 record after losing dual meets to the University of Richmond (Va.) and Duke University (N.C.) during its opening weekend.  Emory is 1-0 this season after defeating Davidson College (N.C.) last weekend. 

The two squads met last season as well, with the Eagles suffering a close 156-142 defeat to the Seahawks.  Sophomores Leigh Psaris and Ruth Westby each recorded three first-place finishes during last year's dual meet, and junior Tess Pasternak finished first in two events.

The meet is scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday.  It will be the home-opening meet for the Seahawks.

WESTBY NAMED A UAA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

(Oct. 23) Emory University's  Ruth Westby was named a Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week by the University Athletic Association (UAA) for her performance during the Eagles' 127-116 win over Division I Davidson College (N.C.).

Westby finished first in three events and recorded two NCAA provisional qualifying times during the meet.  She finished first in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, recording a time of 1:54.80 in the former, and 52.05 in the later.  Both times were provisional qualifying times under the 2007 standards.  In addition, the sophomore was part of Emory's first place 400-yard medley relay team, whose time of 4:00.95 was less than half a second shy of a provisional qualifying time.

Westby helped the Eagles to a third-place finish in Division III last season, earning seven All-America certificates in the process.  The Eagles will continue their 2007-08 season next Saturday against the University of North Carolina - Wilmington.

TOP-RANKED EMORY SWIMMING & DIVING WINS SEASON OPENER

(Oct. 20) The Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team, the top-ranked squad in Division III, opened its 2007-08 season with a 127-116 win over Division I Davidson College (N.C.) on Saturday.

The Eagles finished first in six of the 13 events at the dual meet.  Leading the way for Emory was sophomore Ruth Westby, who claimed three first-place finishes for the Eagles.  Westby claimed the top-spot in the 400-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.

Teaming up with Westby on the first-place 400-yard medley relay team were junior Sara Hostalet, sophomore Leigh Psaris, and freshman Marie Kim.  Psaris also recorded a first-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly, while freshman Liz Horvat finished first in the 500-yard freestyle and freshman Kristin Todano took the top-slot in the 200-yard breaststroke.

The win comes during Emory Swimming & Diving Family Weekend, bringing the Eagles' record to 1-0 this season.  The Eagles will compete in their first road meet of the 2007-08 season next weekend, travelling to the University of North Carolina - Wilmington next Saturday. 

TOP-RANKED EMORY WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING LOOKS FOR A SPECIAL YEAR IN 2007-08

(Oct. 18) Following a third-place National finish during the 2006-07 season, when a number of talented young swimmers emerged for the Eagles, the top-ranked Emory University Women's Swimming and Diving team will make a run at its third National Championship in four seasons in the 2007-08 campaign.

"It was a great year for us," said Emory Head Coach Jon Howell of the 2006-07 season.  "We had a number of swimmers that exceeded our expectations... We feel like we can build on that this year."

The Eagles will be returning seven All-American swimmers, including three who earned multiple All-American certificates during the 2007 National Championship meet.  Ruth Westby will look to extend her success into her sophomore season, after she earned nine All-America certificates, including three in individual events, during her freshman year.  She also set school records in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle during her first season as an Eagle. 

Emory will also be returning six-time All-American Leigh Psaris, who was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Rookie of the Year in 2007 after claiming first place in two events after the conference championship meet.  The sophomore, who led the team in points scored last season, will be looking to improve on a freshman year during which she set school records in the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly.  Her times in both of the events were also both the fourth-fastest times in Division III history. 

Junior Tess Pasternak will look to follow her two all-American certificate season last year, including a school record-setting performance in the 200-yard backstroke at the Division III National Championships.  Also returning for Emory will be 2007 all-American senior Ellen Flader, and juniors Sarah Axtell, Kate Gunning and Sara Hostalet.

"It's a really diverse group where we have impact swimmers in every class," said Howell.  "And this year is no exception.  I think the freshman class will add to that."

The Eagles will open the 2007-08 season against Davidson College (N.C.), a Division I institution, at home on October 20th.  Emory will also have dual meets against Division I Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Georgia Tech and The University of North Carolina, before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship meet on February 21st and the NCAA Division III National Championships on March 13th. 

EMORY SWIMMING & DIVING OPENS THE 2007 SEASON WITH THE BLUE & GOLD INTRASQUAD

(Oct. 8) The Emory University Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams kicked off their 2007-08 season on Friday with the annual Blue and Gold Intrasquad meet.  Emory's ‘Blue' team defeated the ‘Gold' team 312.5-234.5.

On the men's side, the Gold team defeated the Blue team 137.5-124.5.  However, the Blue team on the women's end more than made up for the deficit, defeating the Gold team 188-97.

For the men, Kevin Yamada, swimming for the Gold team, finished first in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard medley relay.  Winning two events each were freshman Dustin Frissell and junior Keith Diggs, each swimming for the blue team, and sophomore Brad Sloan and junior Harrison Brown for the gold team. 

Standouts for the women included sophomore Ruth Westby and freshman Liz Horvat.  Westby, a seven-time All-American last season, finished first in four events, including the 200-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle, the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.  Competing in her first collegiate meet, Horvat finished first in the 1000-yard freestyle, the 200-yard backstroke, and the 500-yard freestyle.  Junior Sara Hostalet also claimed first in four events, the 200-yard medley relay, the 100-yard backstroke, the 200-yard individual medley and the 400-yard freestyle relay.  All three swam for the blue team.

The Eagles' first intercollegiate meet of the season will be held at the Woodruff P.E. Center on October 20th, when the Eagles will host Division I opponent Davidson College (N. Car.).

EMORY SWIMMING & DIVING TO KICK OFF THE 2007-08 SEASON

(Oct. 4) The Emory University Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams will begin their 2007-08 season on Friday, as the annual Blue and Goal Intrasquad meet will be held at the Woodruff P.E. Center.

The Emory Men's team will begin the season ranked second in the nation, and will return swimmers who compiled a total of 15 All-American certificates last season.  The Eagles finished third in the nation at last season's NCAA Division III National Championship, and won the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship for the ninth-consecutive year.

The Women's team will open the campaign as the top-ranked team in Division III, after finishing third at the National Championship Meet last March.  Returning Emory swimmers combined to win 19 All-American certificates, including sophomores Ruth Westby and Leigh Psaris, who won seven and six, respectively.

The Emory roster will be split for the intrasquad meet, pitting teammate against teammate for the Eagles' opening event of the season.  Emory's first intercollegiate event of the season will be a home dual meet against Davidson College (N. Car.) on Saturday, October 20th at 11:00 AM.