FAIRFAX, VA -- The University of Delaware men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will compete at the annual Colonial Athletic Association Championships at George Mason University’s McKay Natatorium beginning Wednesday evening.

Led by head coach John Hayman, the Delaware women’s will be looking to improve upon last year’s fifth place team finish while the UD men will be looking to better last year’s eighth place standing. The men’s eighth place finish a year ago was the team’s highest finish since joining the CAA in 2001-02. The UD women’s best finish since joining the league was a fourth place showing in both 2002 and 2003.

The meet, which will be held for the eighth straight year at George Mason, will get underway Wednesday with preliminaries at 12 noon and finals held at 6 p.m. The schedule for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday includes preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. UNC Wilmington is the defending champion on both the men’s and women’s side.

Championships will be conducted in the one-meter and three-meter diving events, 200 and 400-yard medley relays, 200 and 400 freestyle relays, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,650 freestyle, 200 and 400 individual medley, 100 and 200 butterfly, 100 and 200 breaststroke, and 100 and 200 backstroke. In addition to Delaware, also competing will be teams from UNC Wilmington, George Mason, William & Mary, James Madison, Towson, Old Dominion, College of Charleston, Davidson, Northeastern (women only), and Drexel (women only).

Live results will be available at the CAA website at www.caasports.com.

The Delaware men are led by diver Matt Abbruzzese, freestyle sprinter Andrew Zinn, distance freestyler Joe Virion, backstroke specialist John Ohlhaver, and butterfly specialist Adam Blomberg (at right). Abbruzzese was sixth in the one-meter diving event and seventh in the three-meter diving event at the CAA championships a year ago while Zinn placed sixth in the 50 freestyle and teamed with Blomberg and fellow returnee Brendan Spencer to place fourth in the 400 freestyle relay.

The Blue Hen women are led by freestyle sprinter Rachel Greene, distance freestyler Meredith Law, breaststroke specialist Kellie Pastore, butterfly specialist Sarah Begley, and backstroke ace Maryann Walker. Walker posted six top eight finishes at the CAA meet a year ago, including placing second in the 400 medley relay and fifth in the 200 backstroke while Begley was second in the 400 medley relay and third in the 200 butterfly, and Pastore was seventh in the 100 breaststroke.