Swimming and Diving Sweeps CAA Pod Meet

Friday, November 4

Fairfax, Va.

TBA

James Madison University

247

103

George Mason

11/6/2011 1:03:00 AM | Swimming & Diving

FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 5, 2011 – The James Madison swimming and diving team continued its solid early-season results as it swept the Colonial Athletic Association Pod meet with wins over George Mason, Northeastern, Old Dominion and William & Mary at the GMU Aquatics and Fitness Center in Fairfax, Va., this weekend.

JMU defeated weekend host George Mason 247-113, Northeastern 213-138, William & Mary 204-141 and Old Dominion 200-153 to improve to 9-2 in dual meets this and 4-0 in conference action. W&M went 3-1 on the weekend while Northeastern went 2-2, Old Dominion 1-3 and George Mason 0-4.

For the second day in a row, the diving team won big points for the Dukes as they earned the top-three spots and four of the top five in the one-meter board. Junior Kimberly Helfrich (Fort Belvoir, Va./West Springfield) won the event, scoring a 276.75 while senior Nicole Jotso (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) came in second with a 268.65. Freshman Alex Savage (Carrolton, Texas/Lewisville Hebron) scored a 229.90 to claim third place.

JMU showed great depth in the swimming events, winning two individual events and also earning third-place or better points nine times. Senior Catalina Mendieta (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas) won the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 57.14. Fellow senior Eva Hannesdottir (Seltjarnarnes, Iceland/Kvennaskolinn) placed first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.40. She also finished second in the 200 free, touching the wall at 1:53.03.

Other top performers for the Dukes include sophomore Kelsey Holmgaard (Roanoke, Va./George Mason) who finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.05) and fourth in the 100 free (52.67). Freshman Aimee Hooper (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) turned in the sixth-best time in school-history in the 500 free to finish second at 4:57.39. She also finished fifth in the 400 individual medley (4:33.27). Freshman Sin Hye Won (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) set a new career-low in the 100 breast as she turned in the fourth-best time in program history at 1:04.57.

Madison relay teams dominated the action on Saturday, winning both events. In the 200 medley relay, Won and Mendieta teamed with junior Caroline Burns (Severna Park, Md./Severn School) and freshman Susanne Gingher (Boalsburg, Pa./State College Area) to record the fifth-best time in school history at 1:44.82. Mendieta, Hooper, Holmgaard and Hannesdottir teamed up on the 400 relay, touching the wall at 3:29.59. That was also the fifth-best time in school history.

The Dukes improved to 13-2 in the last four seasons at the CAA Pod Meet.