January 14, 2006 - Rider 163 Loyola 68
January 14, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Swimming
Men: Rider University 163, Loyola College 68
Women: Rider University 150, Loyola College 93
LAWRENCEVILLE—For most competitive athletes, it is all about the competition. The thrill of victory. Not for Rider’s Andy French. “It’s weird. For most people who swim, the favorite part is the meet,” said French, “but for me, the training is the favorite part, getting prepared for the last meet of the season, the Championships.”
The Broncs swept Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rival Loyola Saturday at the Coppola Pool. “I’m very pleased on how we performed today, with two conference wins,” said head coach Steve Fletcher. “We’re just coming back from the training trip, the most intense period of training of the year, and our performances this past week following the trip are better than the times after last year’s trip. That is a real positive indicator of how our championship performances will be.”
For the Rider men, junior Andy French (Richfield, MN) won the 200 butterfly (2:01.25), the 500 free (4:45.74) and the 1,000 free (9:52.88). “Andy had a real challenge in the 500 today,” said Fletcher. “It was a real tough race. The 500 is his best event.”
“The 500 is definitely my favorite event,” said French, a member of the 2005 MAAC All-Academic team. “I’m really a distance swimmer, so for me the 500 is mostly a sprint. I think it is one of the harder races, because basically you have to go all out the whole thing.”
“Andy worked with the University of Minnesota during the summer, trained with the team and the coach at UM,” said Fletcher. “To go home and train that intensely shows his dedication. That’s the only way he’s going to improve as a miler. Andy not only talks the talk, he walks the walk.”
“Working out at UM really helped out a lot,” said French. “They are Top 10 in the NCAAs and it helps to up the competition level training with them. Swimming is a sport where you can’t just swim during the season. I’ve always swam all year round since I was 10 years old.”
At the 2005 ECAC Championships French finished fifth in the 400 IM (4:05.35). At the 2005 MAAC Championships French finished second in the 1,650 free (16:05.94) and placed fourth in the 500 free (4:38.90).
For the Rider women freshman Priscilla Modrov (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) won the 200 free (1:55.35), the 200 breaststroke (2:29.80) and the 200 backstroke (2:09.54).
Junior Lauren Urbanski (Lansdowne, Pa./Upper Darby ) won the 200 individual medley (2:13.76) and the 200 butterfly (2:10.52), and junior Courtney Clark (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) won the 1,000 (10:43.92) and the 500 free (5:18.10).
Freshman Josh Rosenbluth (Lawrenceville/Lawrence High) won the 200 individual medley (2:00.33) and the 200 backstroke (1:58.13), senior Chris Coles (Plainsboro, N.J./WW-P North) won both the 1-meter dive (282.52) and the 3-meter dive (270.52), and junior Eric McFerin (Columbus, OH/Upper Arlington) won the 50 free (21.63) and the 100 free (47.52).
Junior Brandon Modrov (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) won the 200 breaststroke (2:16.25), and senior Dan Burgess (Greeley, CO/Union Colony Prep) won the 200 free (1:43.28). The men’s 400 medley team of sophomore Peter Starr (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area Senior), sophomore Matt Bauer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), freshman Drew Palmieri (Hanover, Mass./Boston Coll. HS/Mercersburg Acad.) and Rosenbluth won in 3:40.32. The 400 free relay team of Burgess, senior Trevor Vernal (Milford, Conn./Notre Dame), Modrov and McFerrin also won in 3:10.28.
Sophomore Stephanie Cosentino (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame) won the 50 free (25:39) and junior Shannon Kahler (Ojai, Calif./Chaparral/Grossmont CC) won the 1-meter dive (206.35). The women’s 400 medley relay team of freshman Ericka Kriedel (Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield), Urbanski, junior Ryan Mitten (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) and Cosentino won in 4:05.96.
The Broncs travel to Drexel January 21. “Training is at its peak right now,” said Fletcher. “We have a heavy concentration of meets right now, then we have a few weeks with no meets in February, when we’ll be training for MAACs. The attitudes are positive right now, the group is excited.”
-RU-
