January 30, 2010
H2Okies wrap up season with sweeps of West Virginia, Duquesne
Sarah Milton breaks three-meter school record, H2Okies record 21 top performances in final regular season meet
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Georgia Tech43
Virginia Tech 59

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Virginia Tech H2Okies concluded their regular season on a high note as they swept West Virginia and Duquesne at the WVU Natatorium on Saturday, breaking many pool records in the process. The women earned 11 top finishes and the men added 10 more titles. The 20th-ranked Lady H2Okies defeated the Mountaineers, 156-128, and Dukes, 136-125. The No. 24 men were victorious by scores of 165-130 and 142-119, respectively.

With the victories, both teams finished competition with a perfect mark against non-conference opponents this season. The women conclude the regular season with an overall mark of 10-2, while the men finished 8-3.

Both teams continued their streak of dominance in the relay events, opening the meet with first- and second-place finishes in the 200 medley relay. The women took the top spot in 1:45.88, while the men raced to victory in 1:32.21.

Tech continued to maintain control through the remainder of the meet. Erika Hajnal and Alex Lutterbein swept the 1000 freestyle events with respective times of 9:59.63 and 9:29.76, as the men controlled the top three spots, while the women finished first, second and fourth. Katarina Filova added another title in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.56 and Charlie Higgins won the 100 backstroke in 50.38.

The H2Okies also controlled the 100 breaststroke and the 100 and 200 butterfly events. Jessica Earl won the title for the women with a time of 1:05.68 in the 100 breaststroke event and Jonathan Huss earned his team-leading sixth title for the men in 57.41. Abby Barney and Matt Baumler were respective winners in both the 100 and 200 butterfly, as Baumler earned an individual season-best time of 1:49.85 in the 200 fly event and Barney’s finishes marked her first titles of the season. Meagan Holloway and Gregory Mahon each added a second- and third-place finish in the butterfly events as well.

Kelly deMarrais led all competitors in the 200 backstroke, taking the top spot in 2:02.57, while Tom Sheranek anchored the men with a second-place finish in 1:51.51. Hajnal conquered her second title of the day in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:51.61, followed by Ritter in third. Bryan Uncur took third in the men’s 500 free event.

Emily Ferguson and Richard Ulatowski earned runner-up finishes in the 50 freestyle, while Sarah Losinger and Scott Harkins were runners up in the 200 breaststroke. Steffi Drechsel also had a solid day for the women, earning a second-place finish in the women’s 100 back (57.58) and a third-place spot in the 100 free (52.24).

Alex Lutterbein won the 400 IM with a season-best finish of 3:58.15, while adding a second-place finish for the women in 4:24.02. The H2Okies then concluded the day with additional victories in the 200 freestyle relay.

Mikey McDonald and Sarah Milton shined on the board and swept both diving events for the H2Okies. Milton’s victories marked season-best finishes in each event. She earned a performance of 283.27 in the one-meter and 337.80 in the three-meter, breaking her own school record. McDonald earned scores of 360.60 and 374.77, respectively. Daniel Martin earned runner-up performances in both events, while Natalie West took second in the one-meter and Cara Murnan was runner-up in the three-meter.

Both teams will have a few weeks of rest to prepare for the ACC Championships in Chapel Hill, N.C. The women will compete from Feb. 17-20 and the men will follow from Feb. 24-27. Last season, the women placed third at the Championships, while the men took fifth.

For updates on Virginia Tech swimming & diving, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_SwimDive).

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