Feb. 14, 2001

VILLANOVA, PA-- Traveling to the Nassau County Aquatics Center in Uniondale, N.Y.for the 2001 Big East Conference Swimming and Diving Championship on Feb. 15-17, the Villanova men's and women's swimming and diving teams will attempt to improve upon its conference finishes of one season ago. At last season's Big East Championships, the Wildcat women posted a fourth place finish, while the men finished the competition in eighth position. This will be the first Big East Championships at Villanova for first year head coach Rick Simpson, who came to the Main Line in 2000 following three seasons at the helm of the Seton Hall swimming & diving program.

The University of Pittsburgh men and the University of Notre Dame women hope to defend their titles at the 2001 BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championships at Nassau County Aquatics Center in Uniondale, N.Y., on Feb. 15-17. The Panther men and Irish women are both in search of their fifth consecutive championship title.

A pair of 2000 U.S. Olympians also headline the women's side of competition. Villanova sophomore Maddy Crippen, 1999 BIG EAST Swimmer of the Year, finished sixth in the 400 individual medley at the 2000 Olympics. She captured the 100, 200 and 500 freestyles at the `99 league championship. Crippen redshirted the `99-00 season in order to train for Sydney. Miami senior diver Jenny Keim finished eighth in the 3-meter springboard and fifth in the synchronized 10-meter platform at the Sydney games. She is the two-time defending BIG EAST champion in the 1 and 3-meter events. Keim was named 1999 NCAA Diver of the Year and was also a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic squad.

The Villanova women enter the 2001 championships with a great deal of Big East experience. Seniors Kristen Olson and Kate Volz, along with Crippen, give the Wildcats six individual Big East titles combined. Last season, Volz swam to a conference championship in the 1,650 freestyle, qualifying for the NCAA's in that event as well. Also returning to help lead Villanova are senior Katie Armitage, juniors Brooke Corby and Christy Welch and sophomore Andie Scelsi.

For the Wildcat men, senior diver Brian Mulligan leads the way. Mulligan ranks among the league's top divers, as he set `Nova records at 1 and 3-meters this season. He set new school records in both events during the 2000-01 campaign. In the swimming events, senior co-captain Duane Couture will lead the team in the sprint freestyle events, along with sophomore Peter Klimas. Strong performances are also expected from sophomore Justin Buland in the breaststroke, sophomore Andrew Harbuck in the breaststroke and individual medley events, and freshman James Wolczynski in the distance freestyle events.

This season marks the first in which league swimmers and divers had to meet qualifying standards in order to compete in the BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championship. Student-athletes have until Sunday, Feb. 11 to qualify.

Click here to view the full Big East Conference Swimming & Diving Championship Schedule of Events