Dukes Win Seven Events in Season Opening Setback to Liberty

Friday, October 13

Harrisonburg, Va.

3:30 p.m. - Diving/5:30 p.m. - Swimming

James Madison University

138

162

Liberty

Dukes Win Seven Events in Season Opening Setback to Liberty

10/13/2023 10:31:00 PM | Swimming & Diving

Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Freshman diver Kate Vitolo won both diving events while achieving NCAA Zone qualifying scores, and James Madison swim & dive claimed wins in seven total events in a 162-138 setback to Liberty in Friday's season-opening dual at Savage Natatorium.

Vitolo qualified for the 2024 NCAA Zone A Championships in both the 3-meter and 1-meter events. She opened with a score of 317.78 in the 3-meter dive, which is the 10th-highest score in JMU history. She swept the board with a victory in the 1-meter dive, posting a score of 287.93.

Also earning individual victories Friday were Jamie Cornwell in the 50 freestyle, Riley Bridgman in the 200 breaststroke and Jess Pryne in the 200 individual medley. The Dukes also captured wins in both the 400 medley relay and 200 free relay.

Cornwell led the team with three total victories, as she was part both relay wins, including anchoring the 400 medley.

Diving Events

In addition to Vitolo's win on the 3-meter board, Maddie Yager took third with a score of 248.70.
Following Vitolo in the 1-meter dive was Yager, who finished runner-up with 258.90 points.

Individual Swim Events

JMU swept the top-three spots in the 50 free, as Cornwell touched the wall first with a time of 24.18 seconds. A quarter of a second later, Alex Volk finished in 24.43. Rounding out the top three was Emily Drakopoulos in 24.51.
Bridgman had an exciting finish in the 200 breast, coming from behind to win the event in 2:22.42, besting Liberty's Sadie Stricklin by less than half a second.
Pryne claimed the top spot in the 200 IM, posting a time of 2:06.99 to win the event by nearly a second.
In the 100 back, Madison Cottrell took second with a time of 56.67. She later finished second in the 100 fly with a time of 56.69. Right behind Cottrell in the 100 fly was Cameron Gring, who finished the race in 58.88.
Bridgman also took second place in the 100 breast with a mark of 1:04.79.
Pryne claimed a pair of individual runner-ups, clocking a time of 2:07.41 in the 200 fly and a time of 5:08.81 in the 500 free.
Rounding out JMU's night in the pool were third-place finishers Riley Nugent in the 1,000 free (10:39.41), Katelyn Fitzgerald in the 200 free (1:54.09) and Volk in the 100 free (53.35).

Relays

JMU claimed the 400 medley relay, as the team of Gring, Bridgman, Cottrell and Cornwell hit the wall in 3:47.66, besting Liberty by .17 seconds.
Closing out the meet, JMU took first and third in the 200 free relay. The team of Cornwell, Gring, Cottrell and Volk won with a time of 1:35.89.
Taking third place was JMU's squad of Drakopoulos, Sydni Diehl, Abby Zindler and Madison Lehman in 1:38.86.

Quoting Head Coach Dane Pederson
"The first meet of the season is always fun. It's great to see where we are as a program, what's working and what we need to continue to improve upon. Liberty is a great challenge and forces us to up our competitiveness and intensity. It was a great night, and we gained a lot of perspective to move forward."

UP NEXT
JMU is back in the pool on Saturday Oct. 28 when it travels to Greenville, N.C., for a dual meet at ECU. The meet is set for a 1 p.m. start.