BOSTON - The UMBC men's and women's swimming and diving teams will send 17 athletes into the championship finals on Day 2 of the 2010 America East Swimming and Diving Championships in Boston. In addition, the Retrievers will have six compete in the consolation finals.
In the first event of the day, senior Sam Maccherola(Woolford, Md./South Carroll/Tennessee) will be seeded second in the women's 500 free, after winning her heat in a time of 4:53.44. She will be joined in the final by seniorJennifer Esposito (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst/C.W. Post) and junior Rebecca Godwin (Catonsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep). Freshman Amy Fay(Haverhill, Mass/Haverhill) will compete in the consolation final.
In the men's 500 free, junior Mat Carson (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute) will be seeded fifth in the final with a time of 4:38.97, while sophomore Mark Garbowski (Cherry Hill, NJ./Cherry Hill West) is seeded eighth. Freshman Alex Moothart (Hopkinton, Mass/Hopkinton) will compete in the consolation final.
In the women's 200 IM, freshman Tara Morrissette (Somersworth, N.H./Saint Thomas Aquinas) was the top qualifier for the Retrievers after winning her heat in a season-best time of 2:06.07, the fourth-fastest time in UMBC history. Senior Tereza Kaplanova (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium J.G. Jankovskeho) touched first in her heat in 2:07.56, while sophomore Laura Tilman (Miami Springs,Fla./Ransom Everglades) will join them in the finals. Junior Julie Cantwell (Sinking Spring,Pa./Wilson) and freshman Jennifer Kotonias (Burtonsville, Md/Academy of Holy Cross) will compete in the consolation final.
On the men's side, the Retrievers will be represented in the finals by four student-athletes, including senior Matt Mattingly (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West), juniors Brad Reitz (Ellicott City,Md./Howard) and Dan Weston-Dawkes (Ellicott City, Md./Wilde Lake) and freshman Herol Marjak(Harjumaa, Estonia/Tallinn Sec Science School). Reitz is seeded second in 1:51.17, while Mattingly won his heat in 1:51.78.
In the women's 50 free, sophomore Abbey McKenney (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) finished second in her heat in 23.66, the second fastest time in UMBC history. Fellow sophomore Ashley Miller (New Smyrna Beach, Fla./New Smyrna Beach) will join her in the final. Junior Erin Wohlers (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker), who set a season-best time of 24.54, will compete in the consolation final.
In the final event of the morning session, three Retrievers will sprint in the men's 50 free final. JuniorEric Jones (Gambrills, Md./Arundel) will be seeded third with a career-best time of 20.63 and will be joined by sophomore Jason Mattingly (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) and freshman Steve Gallagher (Sinking Spring, Pa/Wilson). Sophomore Nour Saad (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) will compete in the consolation final. Jones' time was the fourth-fastest in school history, while Mattinglys was sixth.
The finals session begins tonight at 6 p.m.
