Aug. 2, 2012
Coming in at No. 5 in the Terrier Twelve is the Boston University men’s and women’s swimming and diving program sweeping the America East Conference Championships for the first time since 1994.
The BU men ended the four-day meet held at the Competition Pool with a total of 896.5 points while the women accumulated 741 points. It marked the seventh America East title, and first conference crown since 2010, for the BU women while the men earned their first championship since 2002 and fourth league title overall.
Junior diver Melinda Matyas was named Diver of the Meet for the third straight season after sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. The Budapdest, Hungary native is undefeated in both diving events in the past three America East conference championships.
Freshman Connor Stuewe earned Rookie of the Meet honors, as the Monterey, Calif., native captured two second-place finishes, a fourth-place finish and was a member of three winning relay teams.
Head coach Bill Smyth, assistant coach Jen Strasburger and diving coach Agnes Gerlach-Miller were honored with the Men’s Coaches Award.
After ending day one of the four-day competition in a tie with UMBC, the BU women took the lead and never looked back. The Terriers claimed first in five individual events and won the 800 freestyle relay.
Senior Amanda Schmitz broke the America East record with her victory in the 200 butterfly, clocking in at 1:59.01. Schmitz also got her name in the BU record books with a victory in the 500 freestyle in a school-record time of 4:50.39 and a second-place finish in the 400 IM with a time of 4:16.40.
Also rewriting the record books for the women was junior Katie Radin, who set the new school mark while winning the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:59.72.
On the men’s side, the Terriers concluded day one of the competition in fourth place but overtook the top spot on day two en route to winning their first conference title in 10 years. The men combined for five individual victories and four relay wins to capture the conference crown.
Senior Daniel Kempf led the way for the Terriers with three individual victories in his final meet in the Competition Pool. Kempf became the first swimmer in America East history to swim the 50m freestyle in under 20 seconds, as he set a new meet, conference, and school record with his time of 19.98. Kempf’s winning ways did not stop there, as he also claimed first in the 100m butterfly (48.59) and first in the 100m freestyle (44.52.).
In addition to his individual victories, the Austin, Texas, native was a member of the winning 200m and 400m freestyle relays in addition to the 400m medley relay at the America East Championship.
The quartet of Cole Puchi, Andy Vazquez, Jeff Thomas and Stuewe combined for BU’s other relay victory in the 800 freestyle with a pool record time of 6:36.92.
Sophomore Nik Astashinsky claimed the 400 IM, clocking in at 3:56.57, while Thomas captured the 100 breaststroke in 56.12. Thomas also set a new school mark of 4:28.72 in his second place finish in the 500 freestyle.
The Terrier Twelve
No. 6 - Women's Basketball Advances to Postseason
No. 7 - BU Athletics Announces New Field, Programs
No. 8 - Men's Ice Hockey Posts 23 Wins, Qualifies for NCAAs
No. 9 - Women's Lacrosse Wins Sixth AE Regular-Season Title
No. 10 - Field Hockey Finishes Season Ranked 13th
No. 11 - Men's Soccer Claims AE Regular Season Title
No. 12 - Men's Crew Concludes Postseason Run on Grand Note
