Nov. 25, 2008

RICHMOND, Va. - Two members of the George Mason swimming and diving team were recognized for their outstanding efforts at this past weekend's Patriot Invitational as freshmen Ashley Danner and Derrick Butts were named the Colonial Athletic Association's Women's Swimmer and Men's Diver of the Week, respectively.

Danner, a freshman from Springfield, Va., continued her quick rise to the top of the CAA field, posting a 20.09 in the 50 freestyle for a meet record. She led the Patriots to a third-place finish at their own Patriot Invitational as she touched the wall 0.95 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Danner was a member of the record-breaking 400 medley relay, whose time of 3:46.35 was good for a school, pool, meet and Colonial Athletic Association record. She later placed first in the 400 IM with a time of 4:15.65 to make the NCAA "B" cut, was a member of the first-place 800 freestyle relay team and tied the school record with her meet-record time of 50.41 in the 100 freestyle.

Butts, a freshman from Silver Spring, Md., won the 3-meter dive and set a school record with a score of 366.85 in the preliminaries. He also finished fourth in the 1-meter dive (260.15). He is the second Mason men's diver to win the award this season, as fellow freshman Bryan Bahr twice earned the honor.

Mason will not return to the pool in team competition until the new year, when it competes in the Orange Bowl Classic in Key Largo, Fla., on January 3 at noon.