Oct. 18, 2012
Newport News, Va. -
The Atlantic 10 Conference released its preseason prediction for 2012-13 swimming & diving season, as voted by the league's coaches. The Fordham women's team was picked to finish second, while the men's team was selected fifth.
The 2013 Atlantic 10 Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships will be held Feb. 20-23 at the new Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, with the Richmond women and Massachusetts men as the preseason favorites.
Richmond's women won the conference title for the second straight year at the 2012 Championship with a team total 751 points.
Fordham took the second place spot on the coaches' preseason ranking followed by Massachusetts (3), La Salle (4), Duquesne (5), St. Bonaventure (6). George Washington and Rhode Island tied for seventh, while Xavier, Saint Louis and Butler rounded out the 11-team field.
The Rams have had successful runs over the last four seasons at the league's championship event, capturing the 2010 Atlantic 10 Championship, while taking second place in 2009, 2011, and 2012. This season, Fordham will be led by senior Brienne Ryan, who had a career year last season. Ryan was a part of four school records, medaled in seven events at the Atlantic 10 Championship, and capped her season with a trip to the U.S. Olympic Trials in the backstroke events. Other key returnees included Alana Biagioli, who was a part of the school record 400 freestyle relay team that earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors and scored in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events, and Kara Field, who medaled in both the 800 freestyle relay (gold) and the 1650 freestyle event (bronze).
The Massachusetts men claimed their sixth consecutive team title at last year's Championship with 693 points.
St. Bonaventure was predicted to take second, followed by Xavier (3), La Salle (4), Fordham (5), George Washington (6), and Saint Louis (7).
The Fordham men's team looks to improve on its fifth place finish at the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championship. The Rams will be led by the senior duo of Devon Morris and Thomas Yi and junior Shintaro Noguchi. Morris returns as the top sprint freestyle swimmer, after winning the 50 freestyle in a conference record time of 20.28 seconds, as well as being a part of the Atlantic 10 champion 200 freestyle relay team, which also set a school record. Noguchi was also a two-time Atlantic 10 champion, as a part of the 200 freestyle relay, while winning the 200 butterfly event. Yi, who will be a team co-captain this season with Morris, scored in three events at last year's Atlantic 10 championship and was a part of the school record 800 freestyle relay team.
The Fordham swimming and diving teams open the 2012-13 season on Saturday, October 20th, with a tri-meet against Connecticut and Bucknell in Storrs, Connecticut, at noon.
