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 2005-06. The men finished 7-2 on the season in dual meets en route to their sixth straight Capital Athletic Conference championship, and saw one swimmer advance to the NCAA Division III Championships and earn All-America honors. The women finished 8-1 on the year and won their unprecedented 16th consecutive CAC Championship, and saw five swimmers advance to the NCAA Division III national championships en route to a 14th place finish at the national meet, the highest in the 11-year career of head coach Matt Kinney. Six swimmers were named All-America, marking the 11th 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. In Coach Matt Kinney’s 11 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 28 of the combined 32 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 more than seventy All-America performances.
Expectations are high for the 2006-07 season, as both teams return large numbers of allconference 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, Kristen LaCoe, Mallory Cruise, Tricia Dilger, Beth Aldrich and Maureen Greenlee will look to build on solid 2005-06 seasons, as will men’s school record holders Dale Parker, Cameron Rice, and Kennard Smith.
With both freestyle and medley relays breaking school marks last season, as well as All-Americans and NCAA qualifiers returning on both teams, hopes are high to advance multiple relays to the national championships, and for both of the teams to score in the top 20 nationally at the end of the season. In-season meets against the College of William and Mary, George Mason University, and Gettysburg College, as well as an invitation to the prestigious Division I Terrapin Invitational at the University of Maryland will push the Eagles to their competitive best, and provide the optimal competitive environment for both teams.