Villanova University

Feb. 19, 2012

Saturday Results: PDF
Complete Results: HTML

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Three different athletes scored team points for Villanova and the team finished in ninth place overall as the BIG EAST Championships concluded at Trees Pool in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. In addition to the individual results the Wildcats also posted their best relay finish of the week with a seventh place showing in the 400 yard freestyle relay.

Villanova scored 129 points in the four-day meet, which was won by Notre Dame on the men's side.

The final event of the meet was the 400 free relay and the Wildcats turned in a time of 3:03.54 with a lineup that included junior Scott Thiede (Bethesda, Md.) leading off, followed by senior Ted Sukramani (Williamsburg, Va.), freshman Jason Moyer (Center Valley, Pa.) and sophomore Kyle Grant (Winnetka, Ill.). Sukramani had the team's fastest split in the relay with a time of 45.71 on the second leg.

In the individual events the trio of junior Braden Clarke (Chappaqua, N.Y.), sophomore Ben Smith (Sudbury, Mass.) and junior Russell Paulson (West Chester, Pa.) each scored points towards the Villanova team score. Clarke and Smith qualified for the consolation finals of the 200 yard backstroke and the 200 butterfly, respectively, while Paulson swam in the 1650 freestyle.

Clarke stood in 14th place following the preliminaries of the 200 back in the morning session and held his spot during the finals. He touched the wall in 1:50.65 in his preliminary swim and then recorded a time of 1:51.17 in the consolation final.

In the 200 fly Smith had the 13th fastest time in the preliminaries, when he finished in 1:51.41. He nearly matched the same time in the same finals and touched the wall in 1:51.84, which put him in 15th place overall.

Paulson and junior Jordan Bickhart (Wyomissing, Pa.) swam the 1650 free at the start of the evening session. Paulson came in 16th out of 28 competitors in the event and claimed the final team point with a time of 16:08.11. Bickhart was just behind him in 17th place with a time of 16:10.96.

  COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS

Saturday at BIG EAST Championships
Trees Pool (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Men's 200 Yard Backstroke

PRELIMINARIES

Braden Clarke                  14th of 42                1:50.65
Jovany Avendano                19th                      1:51.63
Kyle Grant                     23rd                      1:53.12
Jordan Bickhart                29th                      1:57.60

FINALS

Braden Clarke                  14th                      1:51.17

Men's 100 Yard Freestyle

PRELIMINARIES

Scott Thiede                   24th of 52                45.83
Jason Moyer                    30th                      46.90
Chris Tamanini                 tie-41st                  48.60

Men's 200 Yard Breaststroke

PRELIMINARIES

Ted Sukramani                  20th of 39                2:05.17
tony sipala                    28th                      2:10.66
Roy Sung                       30th                      2:11.71

Men's 200 Yard Butterfly

PRELIMINARIES

Ben Smith                      13th of 33                1:51.41
Marc Maurizi                   28th                      2:03.97

FINALS

Ben Smith                      15th                      1:51.84

Men's 1650 Yard Freestyle

Russell Paulson                16th of 28                16:08.11
Jordan Bickhart                17th                      16:10.96

Men's 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

Villanova                      7th of 10                 3:03.54
Scott Thiede                   1st Leg (Leadoff)         45.76
Ted Sukramani                  2nd Leg                   45.71
Jason Moyer                    3rd Leg                   46.13
Kyle Grant                     4th Leg (Anchor)          45.94

Team Standings

Villanova                      9th of 10                 129