Wisconsin Badgers
Virginia/Virginia Tech
Ivy climbs to the top in Virginia
January 26, 2013 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Jan. 26, 2013
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- In the second and final day of competition against Virginia and Virginia Tech Saturday in Charlottesville, Va., the Wisconsin swimming and diving team continued to post some of its fastest times of the season, including a pool record for sophomore Ivy Martin.
"Overall I thought we did a nice job," UW head coach Whitney L. Hite said. "We had some really good competition. As we get closer and closer to the end of the year, we're starting to have some very good performances which is a good sign."
Martin, who posted an NCAA 'B' qualifying time in 100-yard freestyle on Friday, broke the pool record in the 50-yard freestyle Saturday at the Aquatic and Fitness Center with a time of 22.36. The time is the best in that event for the Badgers this season and Martin's third 'B' qualifying time in the 50 free this year.
"That's outstanding," Coach Hite said of Martin's performance. "It's a pool record. The previous pool record was held by Lauren Perdue from Virginia and she was a 2012 Olympian. So any time you can wipe an Olympian's name off the board, that's pretty darn good. And I would venture to guess that's probably the fastest time in the country in a dual meet."
Ivy Martin also helped lead the Badgers to a win in the 200-yard medley relay. Along with senior Ruby Martin, freshman Anne Meinholz and junior Rebecka Palm, Wisconsin posted its second-best time in the event this season, 1:42.20.
Also claiming a title Saturday was sophomore Aja Van Hout who won the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:20.32.
Meanwhile, Ruby Martin placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke with her second-best time this year, 55.51. Senior Hannah Ross claimed a runner-up position with a 2:04.01 finish in the 200-yard individual medley.
Both Martin sisters, along with senior Paulina Gralow and junior Rebecka Palm raced to a second-place finish in the 400-medley relay (3:45.33).
For the men, sophomore Drew TeDuits placed second in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.06. TeDuits was also a member of the 200-yard medley and 400-yard medley relay teams, both of which placed third Saturday.
Along with TeDuits, sophomore Nick Schafer, senior Dan Lester and senior Michael Weiss finished in a time of 1:32.38 in the 200-yard medley relay, while the same four swimmers posted another third-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:19.53.
Weiss also placed third individually in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:28.31, while Lester posted his third-best time this season in the 100-yard butterfly, 48.66.
In final team scores, the Wisconsin women defeated Virginia Tech 206-159, while falling to Virginia by a narrow margin, 182-176. The Badger men fell to UVA 185-163 and VT 204-155.
The women are now 5-6 in dual meet competitions this season while the men stand at 4-7. But the Badgers have challenged themselves all year taking on some of the top teams in the country and Coach Hite knows his squad is much better than the records show.
"I bet you we are the best team in the nation with our dual meet record," Hite said. "That's for sure."
Wisconsin will have one final opportunity to prove its coach right before the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, as they return to the Natatorium pool in Madison next weekend for a Big Ten quad dual.
"We want to be sharp for sure next weekend," Hite said. "We've got to make sure that we are paying attention to details because this is the last opportunity we're going to have before Big Tens. We were pretty darn good this weekend and I would expect us to be even better next."
