February 17, 1999
Villanova, Pa.--- Rounding out its dual-meet season at Rutgers on Feb. 6, the Villanova University swimming and diving teams will now travel to Uniondale, N.Y., for the Big East Conference Championships on February 25-27 at the Goodwill Games Aquatic Center.
The Wildcat women's swimming and diving team finished second at the Big East Championships in 1998 behind conference champion Notre Dame. The Villanova women won five straight conference titles between 1992-96. The Wildcat men will look to improve upon their sixth place Big East finish of one season ago.
Freshman sensation Maddy Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa) leads the Villanova women in her first season on the Main Line. A two-time high school National Champion in the 400 yard individual medley for Germantown Academy, Crippen is currently No. 1 in the nation in that event with a time of 4:12.51. She is also among the national leaders in several other events as well. Crippen ranks 8th in the 500 yard freestyle (4:48.22), 12th in the 200 yard breaststroke (2:15.22), 14th in the 200 yard butterfly (2:00.17) and 22nd in the 200 yard individual medley (2:02.46). She also owns Big East top times in the 500 yard freestyle, 200 yard butterfly and the 200 and 400 yard individual medleys.
Sophomore Kristen Olson, a three-time Big East Champion, leads the Wildcats in the sprint freestyle events. Olson currently leads the Big East in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:51.54. Other returning Big East title holders include seniors Elizabeth Lauwaert and Jackie Gruters, juniors Tara Brock, and Julie Lapinsky, and sophomore Katie Armitage.
For the Wildcat men, junior Vince Allegra leads the team in the sprint freestyle events. Senior John Proto in the breaststroke, and sophomores Tom Dion in the distance freestyle, Cass Tokarski in the butterfly and Duane Couture in the sprint freestyle, should also be key returning contributors. Each in the midst of outstanding freshmen seasons, Greg King, Frank Quesada, and Dominic Latello will look to make an immediate impact in their first Big East Championships.
