UMBC Swimming and Diving Hosts Maryland For First Time In Seven Seasons
1/9/2008
BALTIMORE—For the first time in seven seasons, the UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will host sister-school, the University of Maryland, College Park in a dual meet competition. The Retriever men (3-1) return to competition for the first time in 2008 as they host the Terrapins (2-0) at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday at the UMBC Natatorium, while the Retriever women (2-3) will also face the Terps (2-2).
“We’re very excited to have Maryland back in our home facility and back on our schedule,” head coach Chad Cradock said. “Maryland is a very competitive team and I feel we’re ready for the challenge. We haven’t had a competition in a few months and we’re just coming off our training trip so I think our swimmers will be pretty hungry and ready to go.”
Both teams are coming off their annual training trips in Florida and have not competed since mid-November, when the Retrievers took part in the George Mason Patriot Invitational and the Terps hosted the Maryland Terrapin Cup. The Retriever men and women placed first (1,305 pts.) and second (804.5 pts.), respectively, while the Terrapin men and women were third and second, respectively.
The Retriever men won 12 events at the Patriot Invite, with freshman Brad Reitz (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) leading the way with individual victories in the 200 individual medley (1:52.23), 100 butterfly (49.70), and 200 butterfly (1:51.46) and as part of the winning 800 freestyle and 200 medley relays. Reitz’s time in the 100 fly set a new Patriot Invitational meet record, while sophomore Rasmus Kutt (Tallinn, Estonia/Gustav Adolf Gymnazium), who was also part of the victorious 200 medley relay, set a new UMBC school record as he won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:49.12. Kutt was also the victor in the 100 back (50.94) and was part of the winning 200 freestyle relay.
On the women’s side, the Retrievers won seven events at the invitational, with junior Tina Cantwell (Sinking Spring, Pa./The Hill School) leading the way with victories in the 400 I.M. (4:31.62), 100 breaststroke (1:04.92), and 200 breaststroke (2:18.20). Cantwell’s time in the 200 breast was also an NCAA Championship consideration qualifying time.
The last time the two Maryland schools met for a dual meet competition dates back to the 2000-01 season, when the Terrapins defeated the Retrievers 149-94 on the men’s side and 154-80 on the women’s side on November 9, 2000.
“The meet against Maryland was always a great rivalry when I was an athlete at UMBC [from 1993-1997],” Cradock said. “There’s been a number of classes that haven’t had the chance to swim Maryland and this will be a great opportunity for the athletes to get up, be aggressive, and have fun competing. “I’m hopeful that we will see this meet become a part of our schedule for years to come.”
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