Feb. 29, 2008
WASHINGTON - American University senior swimmers Meghan Thiel and Joe Coronato completed the first day of the East Coast Athletic Conference Championships Friday at Trees Pool on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Thiel won her first event of the competition, the 500 free, while Coronato took fifth in the 50 free.
Thiel advanced to the "A" final of the women's 500 free with a prelim time of 4:53.96 which placed her first. Thiel returned to the pool in the evening and topped her earlier time with a 4:53.07 to win the championship. Thiel's closest competitor, Michelle Ducharme from Seton Hall, finished four-plus seconds slower with a 4:57.84. Thiel's victory marks the first ECAC Championship of her career as she has never swum at the meet before.
Coronato finished eighth in the men's 50 free prelim Friday morning to advance to the "A" final later in the evening. Coronato's prelim time of 21.26 put him just one one-hundreth of a second faster than Rider's Drew Madrov and Niagara University's Pat Garvey who tied for ninth and were relegated to the "B" final. Coronato swam a 21.29 in the final to place fifth while the event's winner, Brad Test of Johns Hopkins, swam a 20.85. Like Thiel, this is Coronato's first appearance at the ECAC Championships.
Thiel's victory earned 20 points towards the team scores and puts AU in 16th place out of 22 teams on the women's side. Coronato's fifth-place finish earned 14 team points and has AU sitting in 17th place out of 24 teams on the men's side. Both Thiel and Coronato are the only swimmers representing American at the meet.
Thiel and Coronato will each compete in the 200 free on Day Two of the ECAC Championships. For live results from Trees Pool throughout the day, click here.
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