Dukes Dominate Spiders in Final Road Dual Meet

Saturday, January 26

Richmond, Va.

11 AM

James Madison University

196.5

103.5

Richmond

1/26/2019 4:38:00 PM | Swimming & Diving

RICHMOND, Va. – James Madison swimming & diving picked up its eighth win of the season as they defeated Richmond, 196.5 to 103.5, in its final dual meet on the road in the Robins Center Natatorium.

The Dukes improve to 8-2-1 (4-0 in CAA) on the season while Richmond falls to 2-5 overall. JMU dominated the meet with 12 first-place finishes out of 16 events on the afternoon.

MEET NOTES

JMU started the meet on a high note as MacKenzie Gring, Syndey Kirsch, Jillian Breeger and Bonnie Zhang finished first in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:26.73. Another Dukes' team placed third with a time of 3:31.56.
The Dukes went third and fourth in the 200 individual medley as Megan Marsh and Paige Assaid finished with times of 2:06.86 and 2:08.06, respectively.
Faith Anderson received a NCAA Zone qualifying score of 288.01 in the 3-meter dive, earning a first-place finish. Hope Byrum and Emily Gross went third and fourth in the event.
Morgan Whaley notched her second first-place finish of her career, swimming the 100 butterfly with a season-best mark of 56.74. Anna Ober also had her best swim in this event of the season, finishing second with a 57.73 mark.
Kristie Darmody earned her top finish of the season, placing first in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:00.42. Julianna Jones placed closely behind her in second with a mark of 5:03.65.
Marsh and Zhang received second-place finishes in the 200 breastroke and backstroke, respectively.
JMU went one, two and three in the 1-meter dive as Gross record a season-high 305.16 mark. Anderson tallied a score of 289.27 and Byrum finished with a 271.35 as all Dukes earned NCAA Zone qualifying marks.
Zhang and Breeger went one and two in the 50 freestyle while Whaley and Ober took first and second again in the 200 butterfly.
Julianna Jones garnerd a first-place finish in the 200 freestyle, clocking in a 1:54.61 mark while Jillian Santiago finished behind with a time of 1:55.64.
Oster crushed her season-best mark in the 1000 freestyle, placing first with a time of 10:15.32 and Lauren Soleo finished in second at 10:26.
JMU finished the afternoon placing first and third in the 200 medley relay.

QUOTING COACH PEDERSEN
"The team was just a little tentative at the start of the meet on both the swimming and diving side, but they did a great job of finding their rhythm and synergy. We have to give Richmond all the credit, because they were celebrating their seniors and always race hard so they had great energy in the competition. It's always a positive outcome to get a win against such a well-coached team with a great history of success."

UP NEXT
The Dukes return to Savage Natatorium to host Marshall tomorrow, Jan. 26. Senior Day recognition will take place before the meet begins at 11 a.m.