College Swimming and Diving
Rider at Princeton's Big Al Open
Bronc Men 4th / Women 6th

PRINCETON--The Rider University men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed at the Big Al Open, hosted by Princeton University this weekend with the Rider men placing fourth and the Bronc women finishing in sixth place.

"This meet was fast as usual and our teams responded well," said head coach Steve Fletcher.  "We need to work on our durability over the course of a three day meet if we expect to compete well in February, but there's still much to add in training that will toughen us in time for MAACs."

The three-day meet simulated pretty close to the exact conditions and level of competition that Rider will face at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships February 16-18, 2012 in Buffalo, New York at Erie Community College.

For the Rider women on Sunday, junior Addie Oswald (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) was third in the 200 back (2:03.60) and junior Kelly O'Connor (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) was fifth in the 200 fly (2:04.55) and ninth in the 'B' finals of the 200 back (2:03.79).

For the Bronc men on Sunday, junior Julien Hensen (Delafield, Wis./Kettle Moraine) finished sixth in the 200 breast (2:08.52), freshman Drew Peterson (Boulder City, Nev./Boulder City) placed sixth in the 200 fly (1:52.70) and junior Brian Molloy (Toms River/Toms River HS East) was seventh in the 100 free (46.47).

For the Bronc women in the 'B' finals (9-16 based on Sunday's preliminaries), sophomore Danielle Warwick (Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales Academy) was 10th in the 200 back (2:05.73), freshman Rachel Brooker (Stevens, Pa./Cocalico) finished 11th in the 200 fly (2:06.30) and freshman Carlee Oswald (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) was 16th in the 200 back (2:10.16).

For the Rider men in the 'B' finals, freshman Brett Pedersen (Sewell/St. Augustine Prep) was 11th in the 100 free (46.64), junior Jeremy Chaudet (Branchburg/Somerville) was 11th in the 200 breast (2:10.80), senior Len Paccione (Turnersville/Gloucester Catholic) was 11th in the 1650 free (16:41.46) and junior Kyle Grosman (Green Pond/Morris Knolls) placed 12th in the 200 breast (2:11.01).

Graduate-student Mike Tubb (Swedesboro/St. Augustine Prep) finished 13th in the 200 breast (2:11.31), freshman Jesse Miara (Thiells, N.Y./Clarkstown North) was 13th in the 1650 free (16:53.51), junior Johnny Funk (Las Vegas, Nev./Southeast Career & Tech. Academy) placed 14th in the 200 fly (1:55.14), freshman Kevin McManus (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) finished 14th in the 1650 free (16:56.70) and senior Scott Mitchell (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) was 15th in the 1650 free (18:28.36).

The men's 400 free relay of Peterson, Hensen, Pedersen and Molloy was fifth with a time of 3:06.48.

In the first two days of competition for the Bronc men, Funk was third in the finals of the 200 IM (1:51.26) and fourth in the finals of the 400 IM (4:00.65) with Molloy finishing fourth in the finals of the 500 free (4:35.67).  Hensen was fifth in the finals of the 100 breast (57.91), Chaudet was sixth in the finals of the 100 breast (58.20) and Peterson was sixth in the finals of the 400 IM (4:02.90) and seventh in the finals of the 100 breast (58.26).

In the first two days for the Rider women, O'Connor was sixth in the finals of the 400 IM (4:29.41) and A. Oswald was seventh in the finals of the 200 free (1:52.67).

Schools that competed included Brown (M/W), Columbia (M), Fordham (M/W), James Madison (W), Princeton (M/W), Rider (M/W), Rutgers (W) and Villanova (M/W).

The Broncs are back in action on January 14, 2012 when Rider hosts Loyola Maryland in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference meet at Coppola Pool in the Maurer Center on the Lawrenceville campus at 1pm.

-RU-