December 20, 2004

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech men's and women's swimming and diving teams have set numerous records thus far during their inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference campaign.

Leading the charge on the women's side is sophomore Mason Walsh, who is continuing to re-write the Hokies' record book. She currently has the top time in the ACC in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Her mark of 22.84 in the 50 freestyle is the sixth-best time in the NCAA's this year and has automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championships.

Against Miami, she set the pool record in the same event with a mark of 23.05. Walsh set the mark while at the Nike Cup. Her time of 50.57 in the 100 freestyle is also tops in the ACC and is currently the 21^st best time this season nationally.

Freshman Jessica Botzum has three of the top times in the ACC in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 IM. Botzum's time of 1:03.21 in the 100 breaststroke, set at the Nike Cup, is a new school record. It is also the second-fastest time in the ACC this season.

At the Nike Cup, Botzum broke a school record in the 200 breaststroke as well. Her time of 2:14.93 shaved nearly three seconds off the previous record and is currently the fastest time in the ACC. It is also the 11^th fastest time in the NCAA's this season.

Over the same weekend, Botzum also bettered the previous school record in the 200 I.M. Her time of 2:03.44 is the third-fastest time in the ACC this year. In her first collegiate meet, Botzum broke the pool record in the 200 breaststroke with a mark of 2:18.44.

Junior Laura Lunn shattered a seven-year-old mark by Jackie Davoud in the three-meter diving event with 11 dives. Lunn's score of 487.35 was four points higher than Davoud's, which was set in 1997. Her mark qualified her for the Zone Championships and was the second-best total in the ACC this season.

Lunn also set the school record in the platform event at the Georgia Diving Invitational with a score of 379.95.

Senior Katy Peterson has the third-fastest time in the 100 backstroke in the conference with a time of 55.95. Peterson's mark, set at the Nike Cup, is a school record.

The 200 free relay team of Whitney Johnsen, Courtney Walsh, Laura Campbell and Mason Walsh has the third-fastest time in the conference with a time of 1:34.36.

The 400 medley relay team, consisting of Peterson, Botzum, Erin Tarpey and Mason Walsh also has the third-fastest time in the ACC this season.

Sophomore Gus Calado has five events in which he has excelled this year, placing him in the top three of the conference to date in those events. His time of 4:22.54 in the 500 freestyle is the best of any swimmer in the conference and is fifth-best nationally.

Calado has the second-fastest time in the conference in the 200 freestyle and 400 I.M. In the 200 freestyle, he recorded a time of 1:38.84 and in the 400 I.M. he had a time of 3:54.84. Calado's time in the 400 I.M. is the tenth best nationally and is a new school-record in the event.

Calado has the third-fastest time in the conference in the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly. His time of 1:44.99 in the butterfly is not only a school- and pool-record, it is also the third-fastest time in the NCAA's this year. His mark of 1:47.29 in the 200 backstroke is the second best in school history.

Senior Kevin Furlong currently has the sixth-best time nationally in the 100 breaststroke, which is also the second-fastest time in the ACC with a mark of 54.36.

The 200 medley relay team of Tom Alberi, Furlong, Calado and Christian DeLollo have the fastest time in the ACC with a time of 1:29.56. Their time is the fourth-fastest in the NCAA's.

The 400 freestyle relay squad has the third-best time in the ACC with a mark of 3:01.80. It is also the third-fastest time in school history. The 400 freestyle relay team is made up of Furlong, Zac Czaplicki, DeLollo and Calado.

Senior Doug Roper set a new school record in the 11-dive three-meter event with a score of 505.40. At the Georgia Diving Invitational, Roper also recorded the best score in school history in the platform event with a 343.35 mark.

In their inaugural ACC season, the Hokies continue to shatter records and are etching themselves into the record book with top-five or top-ten performances at every meet.

Tech resumes dual competition on Saturday, Jan. 15. The Hokies travel to the College of Charleston for a 2 p.m. contest.