Nov. 19, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- A pair of second-place showings by Tara Chapmon (Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.) and Thuy-Mi Dinh (Sr., Anaheim, Calif.) highlighted the opening day of competition at the Terrapin Cup for the Navy women's swimming and diving team. After the water settled to end Thursday's events, the Mids found themselves in sixth place with 117 points.

"It was a good first day for us," said Navy women's swimming head coach John Morrison. "We scored 81 points on the first day of this meet last year, so we received much better performances overall today than we did last season. That progress is encouraging."

After Navy placed sixth in the opening 200 freestyle relay event, Chapmon stepped up to the blocks and posted a time of 4:50.72 to finish in second place in the 500 freestyle. She was edged for the title by Meredith Budner from Towson, who finished the event in a winning time of 4:47.98.

Dinh then found herself in a close battle with William & Mary's Katie Radloff in the 50 freestyle race. Radloff would post a time of 22.71 to finish just ahead of Dinh's time of 22.86.

Additional Mids to score points in an individual event Thursday night were Allison Ranzau (Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.), who placed 13th in the 500 free, Toni Paruso (Fr., Savannah, Ga.), who finished in 21st place in the 50 free, and divers Jordyn Nicholl (Fr., Acworth, Ga.) and Demi Trace (Fr., Malaga, N.J.), who placed 10th and 16th, respectively, in the one-meter springboard event.

The evening's session closed with Navy placing sixth in the 400 medley relay.

The Terrapin Cup continues Friday and Saturday the Eppley Recreation Natatorium on the Maryland campus.