UMBC

Baltimore, Md.-UMBC’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both rank in the top 10 in the first Mid-Major Division I Power Ranking of the season, which was released today. The Retriever women are third, less than three-tenths of a point behind second-place Toledo, while the men rank seventh.

The women are a perfect 6-0 on the season and have dominated opponents. The Retrievers knocked off defending America East champion New Hampshire two weeks ago, and sophomore Meghan Sackett (Cockeysville, Md./Dulaney/Maryland) and junior diver Ashley Houghton (Frederick, Md./Urbana/Pittsburgh) have broken two school records apiece and have swept the conference performer of the week honors over the first three weeks of the season.

The men are 3-3 overall, with two of the losses coming down to the final event. Junior Jeff Salgado (Glen Rock, Pa./South Western/St. Bonaventure) has broken both diving records, while he, junior Ryan Karrer (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) and freshman Justin Bronson (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada/MSGR. Paul Dwyer) have each been named America East performers of the week.

The top 25 also includes UNC-Wilmington’s fifth-ranked men and women and George Washington’s No. 19 men and No. 22 women, two of the Retrievers’ opponents at this weekend’s George Mason Patriot Invitational.

Binghamton’s men (13) and New Hampshire’s women (8) made the list out of the America East. The Retriever men fell to the Bearcats, 123-120, on Nov. 5, while UMBC’s women defeated the Wildcats, 141-102, on Oct. 30. Binghamton’s women and New Hampshire’s men also received consideration. The Retriever women beat the Bearcats, 166-74, while the men defeated the Wildcats, 96-63.

Also in the top 25 are Navy’s men and women at No. 2 and No. 11, respectively; Rider’s 15th-ranked men and 24th-ranked women; and Bucknell’s men and women at No. 11 and No. 16, respectively. The Retriever men fell to Navy, 127-116, on Oct. 29, while the women dominated the Mids, 141-96. UMBC’s men also lost to Rider, 130-110, in the first dual meet of the season on Oct. 22, while the women downed the Broncs, 146-95. The Retrievers will host Bucknell on Dec. 3.

The Power Rankings are a relative indication of a team’s strength in dual meets. The mid-major poll supports institutions that do not benefit from large football and basketball television agreements and are based on each team’s best dual meet lineup as judged and submitted by participating teams.

In addition, UMBC head coach Chad Cradock announced an addition to the Retrievers’ dual meet schedule. UMBC will host local foe Howard on Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.

The Retrievers return to action this weekend as they head to Fairfax, Va., for the George Mason Patriot Invitational Nov. 18-20. UMBC’s women take a perfect 6-0 dual meet record into the weekend, while the men are 3-3 on the season.