Dec. 5, 1999

Charlottesville, Va.--- On Dec. 3-5, in Charlottesville, Va., the Villanova University men and women’s swimming & diving teams competed in the Virginia Invitational against the likes of Central Connecticut, Harvard, Virginia and West Virginia. The Wildcat women finished in third place with 565 points, behind only Virginia (1,026) and Harvard (830). The `Nova men placed fifth with 250 points, behind Harvard (1,168), Virginia (1,015), West Virginia (335) and Central Connecticut (280).

The big winner for the Wildcat women on the weekend was freshman Deann Fryberger (E. Petersburg, Pa./ Hempfield H.S.). Fryberger finished first in both the 100 yard breaststroke (1:03.61) and the 200 yard breaststroke (2:17.59) with NCAA B qualifying times.

Junior Katie Armitage was the team’s next top finisher, as she crossed the finish line in second place in the 200 yard individual medley with a time of 2:07.29. Other top individual finishers for the Wildcats included senior Tara Brock who was third in the 200 yard freestyle (1:53.62), freshman Andie Scelsi who placed third in the 1,650 freestyle with an NCAA B qualifying mark of 16:46.56, and senior Julie Lapinsky who was third in the 100 yard backstroke (58.44).

In relay competition, the Villanova women got three second place finishes and one third place mark. A contingent of Lapinsky, Fryberger, Valerie Mesplier and Katie Long took second in both the 200 and 400 yard medley relay events. The other second place finish came by way of Brock, Mesplier, Armitage and Kristen Olson in the 800 yard freestyle relay. The Wildcats 400 yard freestyle relay team of Long, Brock, Lapinsky and Olson was third.

For the Villanova men, junior diver Brian Mulligan was the team’s top performer on the weekend. Mulligan won the one-meter dive with a score of 299.45, which was an NCAA Zone Regional qualifying mark. He also took a fourth place finish in the three-meter dive with a score of 229.7.

Sophomore swimmer Greg King was the top individual swimmer performer for Villanova on the weekend. King took seventh position in the 100 yard butterfly and an eighth place finish in the 200 yard butterfly. Freshman Justin Buland placed seventh in the 200 yard breaststroke.

In men’s relay action, the Wildcats finished in sixth place in three events: the 200 yard medley (King, Buland, Andrew Harbuck and Vince Allegra), the 200 freestyle relay (Allegra, King, Couture and Klimas), the 800 yard freestyle relay (Klimas, Couture, Rummel and King).

The Villanova men and women will get back into action on Saturday, Dec. 11, as the `Cats will host Princeton at Noon.