Among the most successful athletic programs at the University of Mary Washington, the men’s and women's swimming teams again had banner seasons in 2004-05. The men finished 5-2 on the season in dual meets en route to its fifth straight Capital Athletic Conference championship and saw one swimmer advance to the NCAA Division III Championships and earn All-America honors. The women finished 7-1 on the year, won their unprecedented fifteenth consecutive CAC Championship, and saw two swimmers advance to the NCAA Division III national championships. One swimmer was named All-America, marking the tenth year in a row the Eagle women have been represented at the Championships in Coach Kinney's tenure.
Success has traditionally been the standard for UMW swimming. A strong recruiting effort continues to strengthen the program, as does a highly competitive schedule and strong practice environment. These factors working together, along with UMW’s strong tradition of improving performance throughout the course of the season, give UMW swimmers a competitive edge. ln Coach Matt Kinney's ten years, the Eagles have broken nearly every school and conference record several times over on both the men's and women's sides. This is a direct result of hard work and year-long dedication to the training program.
In all, UMW has won twenty-six of the combined thirty conference championships since the advent of the CAC back in 1991. Over that time period, the Eagles have sent numerous swimmers to the national championships, and brought home one individual national title, and over seventy All-America performances.
Expectations are high for the 2005-06 season, as both teams return large numbers of all-conference swimmers. And, with a quality recruiting class, the depth at every stroke and distance should be very competitive, leading to faster times for every swimmer. School record holders Lorena de la Garza, Amy Carlson, Kirsten LaCoe, Beth Aldrich and Maureen Greenlee will look to build on solid 2004-05 seasons, as will men's school record holders Dale Parker and Brian Craddock.
With both freestyle and medley relays breaking school marks last season and All-Americans and NCAA qualifiers returning on both teams, hopes are high to get multiple relays to the national championships, and for both of the teams to score in the top twenty nationally at the end of the season. In-season meets against Franklin & Marshall College and Gettysburg College, as well as an invitation to the prestigious Division One Terrapin Invitational at the University of Maryland and the Franklin & Marshall Invitational will push the Eagles to their competitive best and provide the optimal competitive environment for both teams.