HAMPTON, Va. – For the third straight year, George Washington raised the Atlantic Women's Swimming and Diving Championship trophy, collecting the program's fourth-ever title via 890 points Saturday evening at the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex.
 
After taking an opening day lead, GW extended its advantage across the remaining three days of competition, more than quadrupling their day one to two score (80 to 320) before jumping to 583.5 points entering Saturday, leading by 277 points entering the final day of competition. Collecting 7890 points for all four days, the Colonials concluded the meet with a separation of 420, topping second overall Richmond (470) to cement the win.
 
Fordham (413.5) trailed at third with Duquesne (404) and George Mason (306) sliding in at fourth and fifth, respectively. Davidson logged sixth overall behind 303.5 points with Massachusetts garnering the No. 7 spot via a 296 mark. St. Bonaventure (234) and La Salle (165) grabbed eighth and ninth while Rhode Island (148) and Saint Louis (95) rounded out the standings.
 
After setting the 200-yard breaststroke record on Saturday evening, Fordham’s Ainhoa Martin was named the Women’s Most Outstanding Performer of the Year. George Washington’s Zoe Schneider was selected as the Most Outstanding Rookie of the Year. George Washington also earned Most Outstanding Diver of the Year accolades with Olivia Paquette earning the distinction.
 
For the Women's Swimming Coach of the Year, George Washington's Brian Thomas collected the distinction. George Washington’s Christopher Lane garnered the Women's Diving Coach of the Year honor.
 
The Revolutionaries represented six of the eight new league records on the women's side, including the 100-yard breaststroke, the 1,650-yard freestyle and all four of the relay events, including the 800-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 400-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle.
 
Other record breakers included George Mason’s Ali Tyler who set a new record in the 100-freestyle on Saturday evening with a 48.84 mark and Fordham’s Ainhoa Martin who set a league record in the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:09.55 time.
 
DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• In the morning preliminaries George Washington’s Ava Topolewski foreshadowed her record breaking evening performance with the fourth-best time in Atlantic 10 history in the 1,650-yard freestyle, swimming at a 16:30.36 mark.
• The night started in the 1,650 freestyle where a pair of George Washington teammates finished with the top two times in league history as Ava Topolewski set an Atlantic 10 record and won the race with a 16:08.48 mile. Zoe Schneider was right behind her at 16:20.36 for the second-fastest time in Atlantic 10 history. Richmond’s Megan Carson won bronze with a 16:40.47 time.
• Duquesne won their first gold medal of the weekend in the 200-backstroke as Haley Scholer took first place with a 1:55.48 swim, the second-fastest time in Atlantic 10 history. GW’s Phoebe Wright finished in second at 1:55.69, the fourth-fastest swim in league lore. Massachusetts’ Megan Mitchell earned the bronze medal with a 1:55.83 time.
• George Mason’s Ali Tyler set a championship record in the 100-freestyle with a 48.84 time, winning gold. Manon Compagner was right behind her, winning silver at 49.36, the fourth-fastest time in conference history. In third place was Chloe Hernandez from George Washington at 49.69.
• The Women’s Performer of the Year, Fordham’s Ainhoa Martin set the next record of the night in the 200-breaststroke, posting a 2:09.55 time, the best in conference history to win gold. George Washington’s Ava DeAngelis won silver with the second-fastest time in league history at 2:09.94, while Duquesne’s Sydney Severini won bronze at 2:14.03.
• GW won its next event of the night in the 200-butterfly with Moriah Freitas winning gold, swimming a 1:57.71 race, the second-fastest time in conference history. Her teammate Molly Smyers finished in second at 1:59.38 while George Mason’s Abigail Murtaugh won bronze at 1:59.74.
• In the final diving event of the weekend, the Female Diver of the Year, George Washington’s Olivia Paquette won the 3 Meter Dive with a 3:25.20 score. Davidson’s Annica Valmassei won silver with a 297.45 score while Massachusetts’ Shreeya Sinha won bronze with a 294.95 score.
• The final swimming event of the weekend was the 400 freestyle relay where George Washington capped off the weekend with a victory, seeing Chloe Hernandez, Phoebe Wright, Olivia Tighe and Marlee Rickert swim at a 3:18.15 mark, the second-best in league history. George Mason finished second with a 3:19.37 time, the fourth-fastest in league history, while Richmond won bronze at 3:20.71.

 
 To read about the full week of action at the Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Championships, click here.