November 17, 2007 - Rider 128 La Salle 114/Delaware 137.5 Rider 105.5
November 17, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Swimming & Diving
Men: Rider University 136, La Salle University 107
Men: University of Delaware 127, Rider University 116
Women: Rider University 128, La Salle University 114
Women: University of Delaware 137.5, Rider University 105.5
Burke Sets Diving Record
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Both the Rider University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed at La Salle in a tri-meet on Saturday with both teams defeating the host Explorers and falling to the Delaware Blue Hens. “We want our non-conference schedule to be against some of the top competition and today’s meet provided that opportunity,” said head coach Steve Fletcher. “The scores were close for both meets and the teams are excited about the win.”
For the women’s team, junior diver Amanda Burke (Churchville, Pa./William Tennent) won both the one-meter (268.75) and three-meter (297.40) with sophomore Kellyanne Tomasula (Sussex, N.J./Vernon Township) winning the 50 free (25.16). The one-meter score for Burke is a Rider team record and broke the La Salle University pool record.
“The divers are showing their consistency,” said diving coach Dennis Ceppa. “All of the divers are showing that they can repeat their efforts and in diving it is critical not to have ups and downs and to just be consistent. Amanda [Burke] was amazing. She was a little under the weather but managed to break the Explorer pool and Rider team records.”
“The divers are an integral part of the team,” said Fletcher. “We are all one team and their contribution is integral to our efforts.”
For the men’s team, senior diver Dylan Korn (Hawthorne, N.Y./Westlake) won both the one-meter (266.60) and three-meter (281.65) with freshman Dave Farfan (Houston, Texas/Lamar) winning the 200 fly (1:57.43).
“Our biggest plus today was having four of our divers trying brand new dives and all four of them executed their program well,” Ceppa added. “Doing new dives for the first time in competition and to all have them successfully done is an amazing feat.”
Burke and Korn were both winners of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Diver of the Week awards the past two weeks and look to win again this week with their performance today.
“Amanda and Dylan are working hard and deserve the recognition,” Ceppa added. “It shows that hard work pays off and they are reaping the benefits. You just can’t beat a group of athletes that are willing to give you 100 percent all the time.”
“The depth of the team is important and you see that in the team scores,” said Fletcher. “We are getting contributions not only winning events but also the seconds, thirds and fourths and unlike some of the past seasons, our added depth will keep us close in all of dual our meets as well as at championships.”
Also for Rider women, freshman Brianna Burns (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y./Spring Valley) won the 100 free (54.00) and placed second in the 200 free (1:55.74) with junior Priscilla Modrov (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) winning the 200 fly (2:10.66) and placing second in the 200 IM (2:08.41).
Also for the Rider men, freshman Drew Modrov (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) won the 100 free (48.12) and was second in the 50 free (21.54) with junior Josh Rosenbluth (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) winning the 200 back (1:55.39) and placing second in the 200 IM (1:59.54).
Freshman C.J. Kohner (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy Senior) was second in the 500 free (4:52.87) for the Broncs.
“We knew in the beginning of the year that we would rely on our freshmen to mature quickly as athletes,” Fletcher said. “They are doing a nice job and are major contributors to the team effort. We ‘scheduled up’ so that the younger swimmers can see what they have to do earlier in the season, adjust their training and keep improving. You may take your lumps early by doing that but you will come out with a stronger team both physically and mentally.”
The women’s 200 free relay placed second with a time of 1:42.05.
Rider competes in Princeton University’s ‘Big Al’ Invitational November 30-December 2.
“We are excited to see what the performances will look like in the Princeton meet,” Fletcher added. “The meet is kind of a mid-year opportunity to see where you are with your training and gauge the depth of the team against some strong competition. We are using the meet to try to expand some of the events that our swimmers compete in and instead of swimming two events, see what they can do having to compete in three or four.”
The ‘Big Al’ includes some of the top swimming schools including Brown, Bucknell, Columbia, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Rutgers, Washington State, along with the Broncs.
“The invitational will give us a good look at some combinations and also gives the swimmers the opportunity to swim all of the championship events, in a championship atmosphere but at the mid-season point,” Fletcher said. “It’s a great chance for the freshmen to test their versatility and for the upperclassmen to sharpen their skills as well.”
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