Jan. 14, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion men's and women's swimming and diving squads return to the water hosting their final home meet of the 2009-2010 season. The Monarchs and Lady Monarchs will welcome the East Carolina Pirates to the J.C. "Scrap" Chandler Pool in the new Student Recreation Building at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The Old Dominion men's team enters Saturday's meet with a 3-1 overall mark, which includes wins over George Washington, William & Mary, and College of Charleston.
The Monarchs have six different swimmers ranked among the top 10 times in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in their respective events.
Junior Steven Loccisano (Fredericksburg, Va.) and freshman Jason Brame (Lynchburg, Va.) have been the leaders for Old Dominion in the freestyle. Loccisano has posted the sixth fastest time in the 100 free (46.25), as well as the 10th top time in the 200 free (1:43.55). Brame, meanwhile, has been ODU's top performer in the distance events with the fourth top time among CAA swimmers in the 1650 free (16:19.12) and the eighth fastest time in the 100 free (9:51.52).
Junior Mikael Ramkvist (Bjarred, Sweden) continues to be one of the top CAA swimmers in the backstroke. Ramkvist has the second best time in the 200 back (1:50.82) this season, as well as the fourth fastest time in the 100 back (51.47).
Not to be outdone, Mikael's brother, senior Kristian Ramkvist (Bjarred, Sweden), is third among times in the CAA in the 200 breast (2:06.35).
Reigning CAA Swimmer of the Year sophomore Arni Arnason (Msfellsbaer, Iceland) continues his success this season with the CAA's top time in the 100 breast (55.68), as well as the third fastest time in the 200 breast (2:03.98).
In the fly, senior Kevin Latimer (Newport News, Va.) has paced the Monarch finishers at the wall. He ranks sixth among the CAA's competition with his top time of 1:53.14 this season.
Several Monarchs are featured in the top 10 times of the year in the individual medley. In the 200 IM, Arnson has the fifth fastest time (1:54.95), followed by Mikael Ramvkist in sixth (1:55.15), and Kristian Ramkvist in ninth (1:56.90). The 400 IM has Latimer with the third top finish (4:06.36) with Brame right behind in fourth (4:07.07).
The Old Dominion women's team enters the meet with the Pirates at 3-3 overall. The Lady Monarchs have captured wins over the College of Charleston, Northeastern, and George Washington.
Junior April Barrientos (Va. Beach, Va.), the two-time CAA champion in the 100 back, continues to lead the conference in the event. Barrientos holds the top time so far this season logging a time of 55.85. In the 200 back, she ranks fifth among the CAA's top times at 2:05.32.
In the breaststroke sophomore Erla Haraldsdottir (Njardvik, Iceland) and junior Lauren Fiskus (Yorktown, Va.) have been leading the Lady Monarchs. In the 100 breast, Haraldsdottir has swam her way to the fourth fastest time in the conference (1:05.36), while Fiskus' top time lands her in ninth (1:05.87). In the 200 breast, Fiskus' ranks third in the event (2:19.30), with Haraldsdottir in sixth (2:21.03).
In addition to her top performances in the breaststroke, Haraldsdottir is also among the top ten times in the 200 individual medley. She is tied for the sixth fastest time at a clip of 2:06.72.
In the butterfly, the ODU record holder, senior Agata Nowak (Gorzow, Poland), has registered the seventh fastest time among her conference peers by hitting the wall in a time of .57:25.
Following Saturday's meet with the Pirates, the Old Dominion men's and women's swimming and diving teams return to the water in a quad meet with Army, American, and CAA rival George Mason in the Patriot's pool next weekend.