Women's Swimming & Diving Holds Strong at A-10 Championships

Friday, February 21

Geneva, OH

ALL DAY

George Washington University

Atlantic 10 Championships

Jackie Torrez and Gemma Atherley pose with their medals

2/21/2020 10:15:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results Men's Recap

Atherley and Torrez earned individual medals

GENEVA, Ohio - Gemma Atherley and Jackie Torrez earned individual medals Friday at the Atlantic 10 Championships to help George Washington women's swimming and diving maintain its hold on the top spot in the team standings.

Torrez took bronze in the 400-yard individual medley in 4:17.43, while Atherley nabbed silver in the 200-yard freestyle for the second straight season in a personal-best time of 1:48.51.

Heading into the last of four days at SPIRE Institute, the Colonials have 426 points to lead Duquesne (390) and Fordham (374) in the race for the top spot.

GW maintained its advantage thanks to a strong morning. The Colonials were represented in all five of Friday's individual championship races and produced a top-five finish in each one. They had 13 individual swimming finalists in all, plus three diving scorers.

Torrez clocked the top prelim time in the 400 IM and then medaled in the event for the third straight season. Andrea Moussier (11th) and Courtney Sicinski (12th) were B finalists there.

Atherley put together the best 200 free swim of her decorated career to finish runner-up to Hanna Everhart of Duquesne. Grace Olivardia (11th) and Lynn Zhang (14th) also scored in the event.

Stine Omdahl Petersen shaved more than a second off her own program record in the 100-yard breaststroke on Friday morning (1:01.74). In the final, the first-year from Norway touched in 1:02.19 to take fourth.

GW had a pair of A finalists in the 100 fly in Meghan Burton and Isabela Patino. Burton took fifth in 54.50 seconds, while Patino touched seventh in 55.35 seconds.

Andrea Ho paced the Buff and Blue in the 100 back, touching fourth in 55.02 seconds. Isabela Berdecio (10th), Rebecca Smolcic (13th) and Burton (15th) were part of the B final.

GW again received important contributions from its divers, led by Caitlin Inall.

The first-year from Connecticut set a season high on 3-meter with 246.90 to earn a spot in the A final before eclipsing that in the final with 249.95 to finish seventh. It was her second championship final of the week in her first trip to the A-10 Championship.

Gabriella Arendes (11th) and Rachel Dickinson (12th) also netted diving points for the Buff and Blue.

To close the night, GW's 400-yard medley relay squad of Ho, Omdahl Petersen, Burton and Atherley touched fifth in 3:43.53, just missing the program record that group set back in November.

UP NEXT: The A-10 Championships continue Saturday with another full day of competition to decide a champion. Preliminary events begin at 10 a.m. followed by finals at 6:30 p.m. The full schedule is available here.

WATCH THIS: Hear from head coach Brian Thomas and Omdahl Petersen after Friday's action.

Our women remain in front with one day to go at the A-10 Championships! Hear from @GWCoachBThom and Stine Omdahl Petersen after another spirited night at @SPIRE_Institute. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/Rk1InCiTu4
— GW Swimming & Diving (@GWSwimDive) February 22, 2020