CAA Women’s Champs Day One: W&M Pulls Into Lead, Wins Both Night One Relays

2021 CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

• POSTPONED TO: Monday, March 29 – Friday, April 2, 2021
  • Diving Friday, March 26 – Saturday, March 27, 2021
• Swimming: Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Christiansburg, VA (Eastern Time Zone)
• Diving: Rawstrom Natatorium, – Newark, DE (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: William & Mary men (6x) & James Madison women (3x) (results)
• Live results (also on Meet Mobile – ‘2021 Colonial Conference Championships’)
• Day one results
• Live Video
• Championship Central

Tonight, the CAA Women’s Championships kicked off with the swimming portion of the meet, the first of three days with diving completed and the men’s meet starting on Thursday. The James Madison women are looking for their fourth-consecutive title.

William & Mary got off to the hot start, though, claiming the first two events. In the 200 free relay, they edged out James Madison under the flags, 1:31.37 to 1:31.66. Missy Cundiff led off the Tribe with a 22.50, and Katie Stevenson (23.11), Anna Kenna (22.84) and Megan Bull (22.92) followed, closing the door on JMU, who had a faster back-half with Jordyn Schnell (22.72) and Cameron Gring (22.66).

Evan Arsenault of UNC-Wilmington led the Seahawks to a third-place finish (1:32.63), tying Cundiff with a 22.50 lead-off.

The Tribe’s Elizabeth Intihar delivered a big upset in the 500 free, taking down defending champion Julianna Jones of JMU in a tight finish. Intihar went 4:48.00 to Jones’ 4:48.55, coming from behind with 28s down the final four 50s and a 28.18 last 50 to ultimately pass Jones. Intihar, a sophomore, was fifth in this race last year in 4:51.18, which was her best until tonight.

In the 200 IM, Delaware’s Audrey Duvall won another very close race, going 2:01.29 to out-touch JMU’s Cameron Gring (2:01.39). Duvall finished third in this event last year, and it’s the senior’s very first CAA title (and a lifetime best).

After her big lead-off for UNC-Wilmington on the 200 free relay, Arsenault defended her 50 free title with a 22.37, nearly the same time she went to win it in 2020. Cundiff was second in 22.50, matching her personal best from her relay lead-off, while Drexel’s Lera Nasedkina dipped under 23 seconds for third (22.96).

William & Mary closed out the first day with another relay win, the only team breaking 3:40 in the 400 medley with a 3:39.96 ahead of JMU’s 3:42.76. Kenna led off in 54.36, followed by a big 1:00.60 from Annie Tuttle to push W&M into a huge lead. Maura Graff was 54.98 on fly, followed by Stevenson’s 50.02 anchor.

The Tribe opened up a 42-point lead over James Madison after day one, with Towson in a close third and Delaware and UNC-Wilmington separated by only a point for fourth.

TEAM SCORES – Day One

1. William & Mary 208
2. James Madison 166
3. Towson 153
4. Delaware 116
5. UNC-Wilmington 115
6. Drexel 87