Feb. 26, 2011
Results
Buffalo, N.Y. -
The 2011 Atlantic 10 Championships have come to a close at the Flickinger Center in Buffalo, New York, as the Richmond women regained the top spot, winning the Atlantic 10 crown with a score of 755 points. The Fordham women finished second overall with 578 points, finishing in the top two for the third straight year.
Behind Richmond and Fordham, Massachusetts placed third with 397.5 points, followed by St. Bonaventure and La Salle at 343. Duquesne (337.5), Rhode Island (246.5), George Washington (218.5), Xavier (214), and Saint Louis (203) rounded out the 10-team field.
The final day of competition began with a bang in the 200 backstroke preliminaries, as Fordham's Brienne Ryan broke the Atlantic 10, Fordham, and ECC pool records in the event, posting a time of 1:56.11. Ryan held the previous school record mark at 1:58.42, while the previous Atlantic 10 record was 1:57.93 by Richmond's Nicole LePere, set last year.
Ryan joined teammate
Christina Cosentino in the "A" final of the 200 backstroke, as Ryan took home gold in 1:57.01, while Cosentino was fourth in 2:02.21.
Alexandra Wessel also scored for Fordham in the "B" final, placing 10th overall in 2:04.70.
In the 1650 freestyle, Fordham saw two top six finishes, as Megan McGorry earned a third place finish, breaking her own school record mark in 16:43.96. She also set a new 1000 freestyle mark at 10:07.25. Kara Field joined McGorry in the scoring, taking home sixth place in 16:57.31.
The meet moved onto the 100 freestyle as four Rams found their way into the "B" final. Kelly Bunster was the top finisher in 11th place at 52.00 seconds, with Alana Biagioli (52.13) and Kellie Lyver (52.16) right behind her in 12th and 13th place. Allie Alessi rounded out the scoring in 16th place in 53.38 seconds.
The Rams did not have a competitor in the 200 breaststroke, but came back strong in the 200 butterfly, as Courtney Collyer made it three straight gold medal in the event, defending her title and winning it in 2:00.19. Shannon Jones joined Collyer in the scoring, as she won the "B" final in 2:05.97.
The final women's event was the 400 freestyle relay, where Biagioli, Bunster, Collyer, and Ryan placed second in 3:25.32.
In all, the Fordham set nine school records at the Atlantic 10 Championship, while eight swimmers earned either First Team or Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors.
First Team All-Atlantic 10
100 butterfly - Kelly Bunster
200 butterfly - Courtney Collyer
200 backstroke - Brienne Ryan
Second Team All-Atlantic 10
100 backstroke - Brienne Ryan
400 individual medley - Courtney Collyer
500 freestyle - Megan McGorry
200 medley relay - Brienne Ryan, Courtney Collyer, Kelly Bunster, Kellie Lyver
400 medley relay - Brienne Ryan, Courtney Collyer, Kelly Bunster, Megan McGorry
400 freestyle relay - Alana Biagioli, Kelly Bunster, Courtney Collyer, Brienne Ryan
800 freestyle relay - Megan McGorry, Alexandra Wessel, Kara Field, Brienne Ryan
Atlantic 10 Records
200 backstroke - Brienne Ryan (1:56.11)
Fordham Records
50 freestyle - Brienne Ryan (23.36)
500 freestyle - Megan McGorry (4:50.05)
1000 freestyle - Megan McGorry (10:07.25)
1650 freestyle - Megan McGorry (16:43.96)
100 backstroke - Brienne Ryan (53.44)
200 backstroke - Brienne Ryan (1:56.11)
200 individual medley - Courtney Collyer (2:03.06)
400 individual medley - Courtney Collyer (4:21.04)
200 freestyle relay - Kellie Lyver, Kelly Bunster, Christina Cosentino, Courtney Collyer (1:34.90)
