AU Swimming and Diving Teams Combine for 13 First Place Finishes against GW and Catholic
Oct. 19, 2008
WASHINGTON - The American University men's and women's swimming teams combined to win 13 events over the weekend as the Eagles took on both George Washington and Catholic in a non-team scoring two-day meet. Junior Matt Pelletier swam to three first-place finishes at the meet while sophomore Dorothy Isaacs won two events on the women's side.
Pelletier recorded victories in the 100 and 200 back for the Eagles as well as in the 100 fly. In the 100 back, Pelletier finished in a time of 53.22 to best second-place finisher Cascade Tuholske from GW by a full two seconds. The junior also defeated Tuholske in the 200 back by almost a three-second margin as he took first in the event in 1:56.96. Pelletier's victory in the 100 fly came in a time of 53.43 as he just edged out Davin Harding from GW for the win. Pelletier also competed in the 100 free where he placed second in 47.48.
Freshman Chris Meadows recorded the AU men's team's only other victory over the weekend in the 400 IM as he cruised to the finish in a time of 4:40.88. Meadows also placed third in the 200 back in 2:28.75. Other top performances from the men's team included second and third place finishes from sophomores Brian Glam and Rick Driscoll, respectively, in the 1650 free and a third-place finish by Driscoll in the 200 fly. Galm finished the 1650 in 18:32.11 while Driscoll reached the wall in 18:37.99. Driscoll's time in the 200 fly was 2:07.40.
Isaacs led the women's team with victories in the 100 free and 100 back and a third-place finish in the 100 fly. In the 100 free, Isaacs clocked in at 53.41 ahead of teammates Alexandra Wessel and Leah Breen who took second and third, respectively, in times of 55.33 and 55.66. Isaacs win in the 100 breast came in a time of 1:06.71, nearly three seconds ahead of Ariana Berdini from GW who finished second. The sophomores lone third-place finish in the 100 fly was in a time of 1:00.05, less than one second behind the events winner and her teammate, Mary Margaret Lopez, who clocked in at 59.24.
The Eagle women also registered victories in the 200 free, 1650 free and 200 back. Wessel won both the 200 free and 200 back by a combined five seconds. In the 200 free, she beat out fellow Eagle Elinor Shetter for the win in a time of 1:57.67 while Shetter touched the wall in 2:01.09. In the 200 back, Wessell topped the competition with a winning time of 2:11.73 while Isabel Tawney from GW placed second in 2:14.07. AU's win in the 1650 free was recorded by sophomore Shannon Cummings in a time of 7:27.68.
The AU swimming and diving teams will be back in action again next Friday, Oct. 24, as they host Providence as part of AU Athletics first annual Alumni and Friends Weekend. The teams will compete in two separate sessions on Friday with the first beginning at 1 p.m. and the second scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
