Feb. 16, 2001

UNIONDALE, N.Y.--On Friday, Feb. 16, the Villanova University men's and women's swimming & diving teams competed in day two of the 2001 Big East Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in Uniondale, N.Y. Sophomore swimmer Maddy Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./ Germantown Academy) won her second individual Big East title of the meet and fifth of her career, finishing first in the 400 yard individual medley (4:11.60).

The Wildcat women stood in fifth place after day two of the championships with 273 points. The Notre Dame women are in first place with 457.50 points, followed by Miami (334.50), Rutgers (325.50) and Virginia Tech (314). The Villanova men are in 11th position (106 Points) after day two. The Pittsburgh men lead the competition with 446 points.

Crippen's time of 4:11.60 in the 400 I.M. broke the Big East record in the event which she set at the 1999 Big East Championships (4:11.86). At the first day of the 2001 conference championships on Thursday, Feb. 15, she won a Big East Championship in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 4:46.71.

Two other Wildcat women posted top three performances on Friday as well. Senior Kristen Olson placed second in the 200 yard freestyle (1:49.28), while junior Brooke Corby finished second in the 100 yard breaststroke.

The top finisher for the Villanova men on Friday was senior diver Brian Mulligan, who placed seventh in the three-meter dive with a score of 437.30.

The Wildcats will wind down the 2001 Big East Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in Uniondale, N.Y.

Other top 10 performances for Villanova swimmers on day two of the 2001 Big East Championships:

Women's 200 medley relay: 9th, 1:47.61 (Shipe Crippen, Ellis, Mesplier)

Men's 200 medley relay: 9th, 1:36.25 (Buland, Rummel, Walchak, Klimas)

Women's 1M Diving: Julie Rhines, 17th, 194.60

400 yard Individual Medley: Katie Armitage, 9th, 4:25.31

200 yard Freestyle: Becky Koch, 8th, 1:53.61

100 yard Backstroke: Katie Shipe, 7th, 58.16

Women's 800 yard Freestyle Relay: 2nd, 7:25.82 (Koch, Armitage, Crippen , Olson)

Men's 800 yard Freestyle Relay: 8th, 6:54.16 (Couture, Wolczynski, Harbuck, Klimas)