Women's Swimming & Diving Keeps Building Lead at A-10 Championship

Friday, February 18

Geneva, OH

ALL DAY

George Washington University

Atlantic 10 Championships

Barbara Schaal, Ava DeAngelis, Marlee Rickert & Julia Knox pose with their 400 medley relay medals at the A-10 Championships.

Women's Swimming & Diving Keeps Building Lead at A-10 Championship

2/18/2022 11:04:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results

Buff & Blue secured five medals on Friday night

GENEVA, Ohio - GW women's swimming and diving placed 13 student-athletes into championship finals and secured five medals on another strong night at the Atlantic 10 Championships.

After showcasing its across-the-board depth during the individual events, the Buff and Blue capped Friday's session at SPIRE Institute with a program-record swim in the 400-yard medley relay. Marlee Rickert, Ava DeAngelis, Barbara Schaal and Julia Knox combined to take silver in 3:40.52.

It was Schaal's third medal of the night after earning bronze in both the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke in season-best times.

Julia Knox and Marlee Rickert also took down individual program records. Knox's terrific swim came in the night-opening 400-yard individual medley and earned bronze in an NCAA B-cut time of 4:15.38, while Rickert broke the 100 back mark twice and picked up silver with her finals time of 53.58 seconds.

Entering the final day of competition, GW has built a triple-digit lead with 486 points, outpacing Duquesne (355 points), Richmond (330) and Davidson (309) at the top of the standings.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Knox led three Buff and Blue representatives in the 400 IM final. In the process, the rookie dropped her second program record in as many days after previously putting her name atop the 200 IM list. Molly Smyers was sixth in the 400 IM with a four-second finals time drop to 4:20.50 and Andrea Moussier was right behind in a personal-best time of 4:21.63.
- Rickert posted a morning swim of 54.02 seconds to break her own record before going more than four-tenths faster during finals to hit an NCAA B-cut. Schaal was right behind in the final in a season-best time of 54.00 seconds. Senior Isabel Berdecio took 10th in a career-best time of 54.59 seconds.
- Schaal's 100 fly time of 53.98 seconds was just one-hundredth off the program record. The rookie from Germany was joined in the A final by classmate Moriah Freitas, who took sixth in 54.89 seconds.
- GW secured more key diving points with another spirited effort on the 3-meter board. Jamie Doak (250.45, fourth) and Caitlin Inall (242.70, sixth) qualified for the championship flight, while Dara Reyblat won the B final with a score of 246.50 to take ninth.
- In the 200 free final, Carly Perri (1:49.55) and Erin McCarthy (1:49.62) both dropped time from prelims to take fifth and sixth, respectively. Taylor Bernosky was 14th in 1:50.88.
- DeAngelis led the way in the 100 breast in fifth with a personal-best time of 1:02.06 with Stine Omdahl Petersen right behind in 1:02.12. Courtney Sicinski (1:03.25) was 10th there.
- In their runner-up showing in the 400 medley relay, Rickert, DeAngelis, Schaal and Knox were able to shave nearly three seconds off the previous program record that dated back to 2019.

UP NEXT: The meet wraps up Saturday with preliminary races beginning at 10 a.m. and finals set for 6 p.m. All of the action will be streamed via ESPN+.

"Couldn't be prouder of our crew…"

Hear from @GWCoachBThom after a dynamite third night at the @atlantic10 Championships.#RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/I0j1YLXehp
— GW Swimming & Diving (@GWSwimDive) February 19, 2022