The Miami University swimming and diving teams took the pool against the University of Cincinnati Friday night at the Nixon Aquatic Center, looking to the get their 2010 campaigns off to a nice start. The top-ranked mid-major women's swim used a fast start to defeat Big East foe Cincinnati 180.5-119.5, while the men, ranked 23rd in the latest mid-major poll, swam to a rare 150-150 tie.

"In my 31-year career as a head coach, I've only had one other tie," men's Head Coach Pete Lindsay said. "The final event was obviously very important to tonight's success and we were lucky to hold off UC."

The final event of the night for the men saw the men take first and third place in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of Mark Healey, John Eick, Chris Gunnels and Dave Brown clocked in at 1:24:68, edging second place UC by 36/100ths of a second. Miami's B team took third place in the event, clocking in at 1:26:62, earning Miami two more points to reach a deadlock.

The men got off to a fast start in the meet, taking first in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Gunnels, Michael Carroll, Rob Jackson and Brown finished in a time of 1:34:22, earning 11 points off the bat for the RedHawks. The Bearcats battled back and earned the first of three ties with Miami during the meet, 56-56 midway through. The teams traded wins back and forth until the end of the meet, when the RedHawks earned the tie in the last event.

"We knew it was going to be tough coming in, but it was nice to swim very well against a top Big East team in Cincinnati," said senior swimmer Michael Carroll, who won two events on the night. "We can now go into our next event knowing that we can hang with the elite teams and swim a good meet."

The RedHawk women's swimmers and divers followed the men's fast start to the evening when junior swimmer Miranda Kaltenborn recorded her fastest time of the season in the 1,000-yard freestyle when she clocked in at 10:25:77. Senior Kasey Carpenter recorded her first of two victories on the night when she won the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 58.73, which earned nine points for the Red and White swimmers early on.

Carpenter and fellow senior Kelsey Anagnos each recorded two wins on the night, with Carpenter winning the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events and Anagnos winning the 100 and 300-meter diving events.

"It was weird to get back into the water after having that month long break," Anagnos said. "I didn't do very well on my first dive because I was kind of nervous, but I rebounded and ended up strong."

Home meets have been great for the RedHawks, as they have recorded five wins out of six home meets so far this season.

"It is really nice to have home meets because we have the advantage," Anagnos said. "We are all more comfortable here, and we all feel better swimming in a great home environment."

The Red and White women's swimming and diving team heads to Athens, Ohio, next weekend to take on Ohio University, while the men travel to Buffalo, N.Y. Both teams come home to take on Eastern Michigan Jan. 30.