Feb. 23, 2008

Complete Results

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Make it seven in a row for the Richmond swimming team. The Spiders finished off their unprecedented seventh-consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference title Saturday night in Buffalo, N.Y., winning by 202.5 points over second-place Xavier. Freshman Nicole LePere set an A-10 record in the 200 back, becoming the only swimmer to break an individual record in the meet.

Senior Jessica Witt was named the Most Outstanding Performer for the second time in her career (2006), while third-year head coach Matt Barany earned his third-straight Coach of the Year honor.

The under-manned Spiders' 690.5 points is their fewest during this record-setting run over the last seven seasons, while their margin of victory is the narrowest since beating St. Bonaventure by 167.5 points in 2002 to win their first title.

"This has been the most fulfilling experience I have had as a coach," said Barany. "We knew we were vulnerable this year. Our approach has been to not assume we are entitled to a championship. We had to work for it and I'm so proud of this team for staying focused all weekend long and finishing up strong tonight."

Richmond entered the meet with just 13 swimming and no divers, while most teams brought 18 or 19 swimmers to Buffalo.

Witt ended her illustrious A-10 Championship career by winning the 200 fly and helping the 400 free relay to a gold medal. Witt's time in the 200 fly was 2:02.80, with LePere capturing another medal - the bronze - in 2:05.14.

"Jess has had a career the entire conference has recognized," said Barany. "She is the epitome of Richmond swimming and everything I could have dreamed up in what a swimmer is."

The Spiders got things rolling on the final day in the morning preliminaries with LePere racing to the wall in an Atlantic 10 record 2:01.08, breaking the eight-year record of 2:01.11 held by Virginia Tech's Erin Millfeit in 2000.

LePere could not hold off Duquesne's Kyla Favret in the finals and took home the silver in a time of 2:02.25. Beth Ann Platt captured the bronze (2:02.83), Alex Helland finished fourth (2:02.84), Kylie Francis took sixth (2:04.56) and Elizabeth Hailand was ninth (2:05.41).

"Nicole doesn't know how fast she can be," said Barany. "She broke the A-10 record as a freshman and this is just a start for her."

The 200 back saw Richmond capture 70 total points and all but slam the door on the competition.

Sophomore Katie Sieben was edged out by another Duke Melissa Johnson in the 100 free and took the silver in a time of 51.46.

Junior Lauren Beaudreau returned to the gold-medal platform in the 200 breast, winning by nearly three seconds in a time of 2:15.73. Cara Smaniotto was sixth in the event (2:21.30).

With the Championship already decided before the meet's final event, the 400 relay of Beaudreau, Helland, Witt and Sieben helped the Spiders capture 40 more points in taking the gold. The team out-touched Duquesne at the wall by .66 seconds.

Richmond won the Championship with 690.5 points, followed by a program-best second-place finish from Xavier (488). Duquesne (470) was third, while Massachusetts (420.5) was fourth, Fordham (414) was fifth, St. Bonaventure (308) was sixth, La Salle (225) was seventh, Rhode Island (215) was eighth, Saint Louis (214) was ninth and George Washington (189) was 10th.

Richmond's run in the A-10 Championship
2002: Richmond 752, St. Bonaventure 584.5 (+167.5)
2003: Richmond 785, St. Bonaventure (+233.5)
2004: Richmond 889.5, St. Bonaventure (+442.5)
2005: Richmond 921, St. Bonaventure 534 (+387)
2006: Richmond 747, St. Bonaventure 475 (+272)
2007: Richmond 737, Massachusetts 453 (+284)
2008: Richmond 690.5, Xavier 488 (+202.5)