Feb. 27, 2009

CAA Championships Central
Friday's Final Results

FAIRFAX, Va. - With one day remaining, the George Mason women's swimming and diving team sits second in the standings of the Colonial Athletic Association Championships. The Mason men are fifth after the conclusion of Friday's events at the Jim McKay Natatorium.

The Patriot women have scored 370 points and trail first-place Towson by 101 points, while the men have garnered 303.5 total points. UNC Wilmington leads the men's side with 469.

Freshman Ashley Danner highlighted the action for Mason on Friday, a day which saw three event victories for the Green and Gold. Danner earned her second individual CAA title as she swam the 100-yard breaststroke in 59.78, nearly two seconds better than the second-place finisher. Danner's time met an NCAA A-cut, guaranteeing her a spot in the NCAA Championships next month. The time set new CAA meet, pool, and team records and was the CAA's top performance.

Two other freshmen had record-breaking days. Preston Wolter topped the field in the finals of the 400-yard individual medley, setting new meet and team records and making an NCAA B-cut with a time of 3:49.73. Kristen Meier set a team record with her second-place score of 299.50. Meier narrowly edged sophomore Lisa Faulkner, who earned third-place with a 299.45 mark.

Mason's final victory of the day came in the women's 400-yard medley relay. The squad of freshman Nicole Harmon, Danner, junior Caitlin Impink and senior Mary Beth Cheslock earned the CAA title and finished in 3:43.21, a team, pool and meet record and a CAA top performance.

One other record fell Friday in the preliminaries, as junior Claire Weems swam to a time of 1:50.11, a new team record and sixth among entrants. She would finish eighth in the event.

The CAA Championships conclude Saturday, with preliminaries scheduled for 10 a.m. and the finals at 6 p.m.