Mary Washington Jumps to Lead at the Capital Athletic Conference Championships

ST. MARY'S CITY, Maryland, February 9. FRIDAY marked the first day of competition at the 2007 Capital Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Swimming Championships. After 10 events, the University of Mary Washington, the defending eight-time CAC Champion, is in first with 328. Marymount (Va.) University is in second with 134 and St. Mary's women are third in the team standings with 129 points.

The SMCM men are currently in sixth with 89 points. Mary Washington is in first with 200 followed by York (Pa.) College in second with 183. Marymount (Va.) (112 points), Salisbury University (104 points), and Catholic University (102 points) round out the Top 5 in the team standings.

WOMEN
Sophomore Brie McDowell (Hatboro, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) kicked off the league championships in record-setting fashion as McDowell captured the 200 IM. Individually, McDowell set a conference, school, and CAC Championship meet record in the 200 IM as she stroked a 2:08.37 in the finals. Her time in the finals broke the record that McDowell had set earlier in the day at the preliminaries when she swam a 2:09.32. The new record broke the 1993 conference mark of 2:09.93, the 2005 CAC Championship meet mark of 2:09.93 set by Stephanie LaGue, and McDowell's own school record of 2:12.81 that she previously swam on January 13, 2007.

McDowell, along with senior Randi Zung (Silver Spring, MD/John F. Kennedy), freshman Rachel Hotchko (Yakima, WA/A.C. Davis), and sophomore Eleanor Koerner (North Potomac, MD/T.S. Wootton), displaced the old SMCM mark of 1:41.43 in the 200 free relay set twice in 1997 and 2002 as the foursome swam a 1:40.39 to take second in the event.

The 400 medley relay team of sophomore Stephanie Korba (Laurel, MD/Atholton), McDowell, Hotchko, and Koerner also shattered a school record with their time of 4:05.88. This new mark shaved off nearly four seconds of the eight-year record of 4:09.64.

Koerner placed second in the 50 free in 24.61, while Hotchko had the top time in the B final of the 200 IM with her time of 2:17.94 and sophomore Natalie Schaefer (Newtown, PA/Council Rock North) took sixth in the 500 free with 5:25.92.

MEN
The foursome of freshman Cameron Buckingham (Silver Spring, MD/Blake), sophomores Samuel Fleming (Charlotte Hall, MD/LaPlata) and Mike Preston (Pasadena, MD/Cardinal Gibbons), and junior Michael Kerr (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) swam a 3:45.18 to take fourth in the 400 medley relay.

Sophomores Joey Quase (Montgomery Village, MD/Good Counsel) and Bob Wiley (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) were a 1-2 punch in the B final of the 500 free. Quase had the top time of the group with 4:57.75 while Wiley posted a 5:02.10.

Buckingham, Kerr, Preston, and freshman Brandon Eads (Stafford, VA/Colonial Forge) finished fifth in the 200 free relay with their time of 1:31.26.

Preston finished eighth in the 50 free with this time of 22.45.

The three-day competition will conclude on Sunday with the crowning of the 2007 CAC Champions.

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