TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University swimming and diving teams return home to Burdick Pool to host Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival William & Mary on Saturday. The dual meet will begin at 10 a.m. with diving events followed by swimming at 1 p.m.
Meet Coverage
The dual meet will take place at Burdick Pool. Admission is free but fans are encouraged to arrive early as seating will be limited. Fans can follow the meet on the Meet Mobile app.
The Series
This will be the 18
th meeting between the Tigers and Tribe on both the men's and women's sides. The Tiger men are seeking their third win in the series. Towson's women hold an 11-8 advantage over the Tribe.
Mid-Major Rankings
As CollegeSwimming released its first rankings of the 2016-17 season, the Tiger squads found spots on Division I Mid-Major rankings. The Tiger men are ranked No. 28 while the women are in at the No. 46 spot on the Division I Mid-Major Rankings.
The Tribe men are ranked 39
th among all Division I programs and ninth in the Division I Mid-Major rankings. William & Mary's women are in a No. 18 on the Division I Mid-Major Rankings.
First Place Finishes Key
The Tiger women shined at UMBC, winning 10 of the 16 events to secure the victory over the Retrievers. Along with securing the event wins, the women recorded 26 top-three finishes. The men won six events and posted 23 top-three finishes against the Retrievers.
This season, the Tiger women have combined for 19 event victories and 72 top-three finishes. The men have tallied 22 events wins and 65 top-three finishes.
Breaking Records
Jack Saunderson impressed at UMBC last weekend, setting a pool record for the 100-yard butterfly. Saunderson timed 48.98 in the event, erasing the previous record of 49.04 set in 2009.
Swimming among the Best
Saunderson is among the top Division I swimmers in the 100-yard butterfly this season. His time of 48.29, an NCAA 'B' cut time recorded against Georgetown, ranks 15
th among Division I swimmers. Saunderson leads the CAA in the 100- and 200-yard butterflies as the Tiger men have 31 top 10 performances among conference swimmers.
On the women's side,
Jacy Icard has the top time in the CAA for the 50- and 100-yard backstrokes.
Ashley Illenye is the top ranked conference swimmer for the 1000-yard freestyle. The Tiger women have posted 23 top 10 performances in the CAA this season.
Better at Home
The Tigers swim exceptionally well inside the friendly confines of Burdick Pool. Entering Saturday's meet, the women have won 20 straight dual meets, with its last loss coming against Maryland on Jan. 7, 2012. Over the last five seasons, the Tiger women are 20-1 at home. The men's squad is 17-6 over the last five season at home.
I'm Honored
Three Tigers have been recognized for their success this season in the pool. On the women's side,
Kelsey Jehl earned CAA Female Diver of the Week honors and
Emily Wilson has picked up TowsonTigers.com Female Student-Athlete of the Week accolades. Saunderson has earned four recognitions this season, earning CAA Swimmer of the Week and TowsonTigers.com Male Student-Athlete of the Week honors. He has also been named CollegeSwimming.com's CAA Male Swimmer of the Week twice.
Fresh Faces
Fans will see a number of new faces on the pool deck this season. The men's team added seven freshmen to its roster and the women's team added nine freshmen. In addition, the program has two new faces on the coaching staff.
Ryan Hunt enters his first season as the Tigers' diving coach and
Jaime Keily has been added as an assistant coach.
