Air Force Academy
Utah
Air Force Splits Dual Meet Versus Utah
1/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Jan. 23, 2010
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force men's and women's swimming teams split against conference rival Utah on Saturday afternoon at Cadet Natatorium. While the Falcon women came up short against the Utes, falling 169-113, the men came up with a big win in the final race to grab a 157-143 team victory over Utah.
On the women's side, sophomores Katharine Ernst (Folsom, Calif.) and Alison Ceranski (Marinette, Wis.) posted individual victories to lead the team. Ceranski recorded a mark of 55.19 in the 100 freestyle to take first place in the event.
Meanwhile, Ernst posted a time of 2:11.31 in the 200 butterfly to set up a 1-2-3 finish by the Falcons in the event, as Becky Gleason (Sr., Ballwin, Mo.) and Haley Holcombe (Fr., Snellville, Ga.) placed second and third, respectively. Holcombe also added a second-place finish in the 100 butterfly, while Gleason posted the second-fastest time in the exhibitioned 400 IM.
Freshman Katrina Castellanos (Roseville, Calif.) was Air Force's top performer in both breaststroke events, placing second in each race. Meanwhile, classmate Shelby Schaefer (Roseville, Calif.) led the Air Force women in the 200 backstroke, posting a mark of 2:15.77.
Entering the last race of the day, the 200 freestyle relay, Air Force led in the men's dual meet, 144-139. Needing a first-place finish to guarantee an outright team victory, the Falcons came through, as the relay team of Chris Morin (Sr., Crown Point, Ind.), Robert Dawson (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Eric Robinson (Jr., Lakewood, Colo.) and Benjamin Gunn (Jr., Gainesville, Ga.) clocked in with a mark of 1:24.86, just over two-tenths of a second ahead of the Utes' `A' team.
The Falcons won the 200 medley relay to start the meet, with Gunn, Cody Deacon (So., Portland, Ore.), Morin and Dawson registering a mark of 1:33.36. Corydon Butler (So., Williamsburg, Va.) led a dominating performance by Air Force in the 200 freestyle, finishing first with a time of 1:42.96, while freshmen Jake Stronko (Woodbridge, Va.) and Jon Jones (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) placed second and third, respectively. Butler was also the Falcons' top swimmer in the 500 free, finishing second in the race.
Air Force won both backstroke events, while Gunn taking first in the 100 back with a time of 52.30, followed by Paul Young (Fr., Lakeville, Minn.) in second place. Meanwhile, Young was the top finisher in the 200 back, clocking in a 1:53.19.
Dawson posted a season-best mark of 21.24 in the 50 freestyle to win the race, while placing second in the 100 free. Leading the way in the 100 free was Morin, who registered a career-best time of 46.79 in the event. Morin added a second-place showing in the 100 butterfly to lead Air Force in the event.
Also posting a career-best mark on Saturday was freshman J.H. Vivadelli (Richmond, Va.), who posted a mark of 1:55.87 in the 200 butterfly to place second.
Deacon was the Falcons' top performer in the breaststroke event, placing second in the 100 breast with a time of 58.52, while taking third in the 200 breast. Meanwhile, senior Kyle Van Valkenburg (Tucson, Ariz.) led the Air Force divers, winning the 1-meter event with a score of 296.78, while placing second on the 3-meter board.
The Falcon swimmers are off next weekend, but the divers are back in action Jan. 29-30, as they host the annual Air Force Diving Invitational.
Players Mentioned
