Feb. 15, 2001

UNIONDALE, N.Y.-- On Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in Uniondale. N.Y., the Villanova University men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed in day one of the 2001 Big East Conference Swimming & Diving Championships. The big winner on the day for the Wildcats was sophomore Maddy Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./ Germantown Academy), who claimed a Big East title in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 4:46.71.

After the first day of competition, the Villanova women stand in fourth place with 130 points, behind only Notre Dame (184), Miami (176), and Virginia Tech (159.50). The Wildcat men are in ninth place after day one with 53 points. Leading the men's competition is Pittsburgh (247), followed by St. John's (152) and Rutgers (134) winding down the top three.

Leading by just two tenths of a second after the first 100 yards, Crippen took control from there and coasted to victory, touching the wall over one second ahead of Rutger's Erin McIntyre (4:47.79). Crippen is no stranger to success at the Big East Championships. In her first conference championships in 1999, she won three individual Big East titles and two relay titles en route to Big East Female Swimmer of the Year honors.

The 1999 NCAA Champion in the 400 yard I.M., Crippen redshirted the 1999-2000 season to train for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She became Villanova's first female swimmer to ever earn a spot on the United States' Olympic Team, and wound up placing sixth in the 400m individual medley.

Two other Wildcat swimmers also placed in the top three in their respective events in day one of the 2001 championships on Thursday. Senior Kristen Olson finished in second position in the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 23.21. In the 200 yard individual medley, senior Katie Armitage tallied a third place finish (2:04.08).

In women's relay competition, the Villanova 200 yard freestyle relay team of Becky Koch, Katie Shipe, Val Mesplier and Olson finished third in 1:33.86. Later in the evening in the 400 yard medley relay, Shipe, Crippen, Koch and Olson combined for a third place finish (3:48.37).

On the men's side, senior diver Brian Mulligan competed in the one-meter dive. Mulligan placed sixth in the one-meter competition, posting a score of 262.25.

The Wildcats will get back into action on Friday, Feb. 16, at day two of the 2001 Big East Conference Championships.

Click here to view the Big East Conference Swimming & Diving Championship Results from Day One's Finals