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News Release

Engler Sets New 50 Free Record, Women Set 200 Free Record; UMBC Men's Swimming and Diving First After Two Days

2/15/2008

Junior Justin Bronson was second in the 500 free on Friday night.

ORONO, Maine—Senior Lindsey Engler (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) set a new school record while claiming gold in the 50 freestyle and was part of the school record-setting 200 freestyle relay, which also took gold, on day two of the America East Championships in Orono, Maine.  The UMBC men’s swimming and diving team is currently in first place with a total of 327 points after two days of competition, while the women’s team is second with 274 points.

Engler swam a time of 23.56 in the 50 to break junior teammate Daniele Surkovich’s (Ellicott City, Md./Wilde Lake) previous record of 23.67 set at last year’s conference meet.

The senior then teamed with senior Carly Fitzpatrick (Delran, N.J./Delran), freshman Erin Wohlers (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Oceanside), and Surkovich to set a new school record in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:36.18 on the way to a second gold medal for the night.

The relay team broke the previous record of 1:36.22 which was set by Fitzpatrick, sophomore Tereza Kaplanova (Prague, Czech Republic/J.G. Jarkovskeho), Engler, and Surkovich at last year’s conference meet.

Surkovich also claimed an individual gold medal of her own as she set a new America East Championship record in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:53.33.

Surkovich’s time eclipsed former Retriever Meghan Sackett’s record of 4:54.13 set at the 2006 championship meet as she claimed gold in the event, while freshman Rebecca Godwin (Catonsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep) finished seventh with a time of 5:04.11.

Kaplanova was the runner-up in the 200 individual medley as she turned in a time of 2:05.94 to take the silver medal, while freshman Julie Cantwell (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) finished seventh in 2:10.29.

The only other top competitor on the women’s side was freshman Crystal Gall (Balgonie, Saskatchewan, Canada/Dr. Martin LeBoldus) who finished third in the 1-meter diving with a score of 238.40.

On the men’s side, sophomore Matt Mattingly (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) led the way with two silver medals on the night, both in the 200 IM and as part of the 200 freestyle relay.

Mattingly finished second in the 200 IM with a time of 1:51.63, while freshmen Brad Reitz (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) and Mat Carson (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Academy) were just behind in third and fourth places with times of 1:51.92 and 1:54.52, respectively.

Senior Adam Eiben (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) rounded out the finalists in the event by finishing sixth with a time of 1:54.98.

Mattingly also led-off the 200 freestyle relay along with juniors Milos Djukic (Novi Sad, Serbia/Svetozar Markovic) and Sven Schneider (Tallinn, Estonia/Tallinn German Gymnazium), and sophomore Zach Vonder Haar (Gahanna, Ohio/Columbus Academy) to take silver in 1:24.26.

Djukic and Vonder Haar finished in third and fourth places in the 50 free with times of 21.24 and 21.38, while sophomore Fred Deal (Richboro, Pa./Father Judge/Council Rock South) was sixth in 21.54.

The only other top finishers on the men’s side included juniors Justin Bronson (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada/Msgr. Paul Dwyer) and Freddie Reitz (Ellicott City, Md./Howard), and senior Joey Sementelli (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) who finished second, third, and fifth in the 500 free with times of 4:32.29, 4:32.63, and 4:37.52, respectively.

Competition at the America East Championships will resume on Saturday with preliminaries scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and a finals session at 6:00 p.m.