The final day of the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships is here and George Washington, La Salle and UMass are battling it out for top points on the Men’s side while defending Women’s Conference Champ Richmond and UMass are competing for 1st place in the Women’s events.
Women’s 200 Back
There were some big time drops in the Women’s 200 Back this morning as St. Bonaventure junior Devon McFadden dropped 3.54 seconds to take top seed in finals and was the only swimmer under 2 minutes. Richmond placed 2 swimmers in the A final, freshman Hannah Gouger (2:00.17) took 2nd with a 2:00.17 and teammate junior Hannah Verrette took 4th seed (2:01.03). Duquesne also placed 2 swimmers in the A final to continue their quest to regain top position in team points. Junior Lexi Santer (2;00.44) is 3rd and senior Morgan Fink (2:01.34) is seeded 8th. The 5th, 6th and 7th spots are held by St. Louis junior Riley Kirby (2:01.06), Rhode Island senior Lauren Folkert (2:01.29), and Fordham freshman Cat Alabanza (2:01.32).
Hannah Elliott, La Salle junior, is top seed in the B final tonight with a time of 2:01.90
Men’s 200 Back
Fabian Bergman, La Salle junior, cruised to top seed with a 1:44.88. George Mason freshman Ryan Donnelly dropped 3.29 seconds to earn 2nd seed. The race for 3rd through 7th seeds was tight with UMass junior Oliver Wyeth (1:47.05), George Washington junior Gustav Hokfelt (1:47.23), UMass sophomore Kellen Gray (1:47.58), George Washington freshman Andrew Cho (1:47.74) and La Salle senior Jerry Gravel (1:47.96). UMass junior Christopher DiGiacomo is in 8th seed after swimming a 1:48.90.
Fordham senior Miguel Mattox is top seed in the B final (1:49.43).
Women’s 100 Free
Sydney Fisher, George Mason senior, and Davidson senior Elise Lankiewicz have broken multiple Meet Records and Conference Records over the last 3 days and they will battle each other in the 100 Free tonight. Lankiewicz broke the A-10 Conference Record and Meet Record in prelims swimming a time of 49.42 to earn top seed. Fisher was a second behind her at 50.38. UMass sophomore Ansley Baker is in 3rd seed (50.52). Richmond placed 2 swimmers In the A final with freshman Virginia Marsh (50.69) in 4th and junior Annie Lane (51.26) in 7th. Rounding out the top 8 are Duquesne freshman Carson Gross (5th seed 50.76), Davidson senior Ksssie Shannon (6th seed 50.97), and George Washington sophomore Emily Zhang (8th seed 51.27).
Barely missing the A final by .01 is Fordham sophomore Tara Brunner with a time of 51.28.
Men’s 100 Free
The battle for top seed in the Men’s 100 Free was tight between Davidson junior Taylor Willenbring (44.71), St. Louis junior Ryan McCoy (44.81), George Washington freshman Maximillian Forstenhaeusler (44.83), George Mason senior Zepher Begnell (44.86) and Fordham freshman Joe Vizza (44.91). George Washington placed another swimmer in the A final with junior Adam Drury which should help them solidify their top spot in team points. George Mason junior Alec Morin (45.17) and La Salle senior Cameron Fadley (45.37) are 7th and 8th seeds.
Top seed in the B final tonight is Alex Auster, George Washington sophomore (45.40).
Women’s 200 Breast
Davidson senior Katy Wiiliams dropped 7.59 seconds to earn top seed in the Women’s 200 breast by over a second. Duquesne is still chasing the top spot in team points and placing 2 swimmers in the A final will help with sophomore Abby Stauffer (2:15.28) and freshman Erin Kuhn (2:18.42) qualifying in 2nd and 8th seeds. Richmond junior Erin Barry is 3rd seed (2:15.87 and Geroge Mason junior Alison Barahona (2:17.29) is 4th seed. George Mason senior Sarah Brallier (2;17.61) out touched UMass senior Sydney Connor (2:17.68) in 5th and 6th spots. UMass senior Meriza Werenski holds the 7th seed (2:18.34)
George Washington freshman Jackie Torrez is top seed in the B final tonight with a time of 2:18.42 barely missing the A final by .02 seconds.
Men’s 200 Breast
There were some amazing time drops in the Men’s 200 breast with top seed Andrea Bolognesi (1:59.77), George Washington senior, dropped 14.53 seconds to start it off. St. Bonaventure senior Preston Schilling was close behind swimming 1:59.97 after a 10.02 second drop. The remainder of the qualifiers were over 2 minutes with La Salle junior Dimitrije Mladenovic (2:01.03), St. Louis senior Austin Nguyenphu (2:01.23), St. Bonaventure senior Matt Goettler (2:01.32) and seeds 3rd through 5th. Sitting in 6th place is La Salle freshman Chrsitoff Ras (2:02.15) followed by Davidson freshman Crossan Cooper (@:02.77). Fordham freshman Sean Finley dropped 11.78 seconds to take 8th seed (2:02.97).
Top seed in the B final tonight with a time of 2:03.25 is St. Louis freshman Collin O’Brien.
Women’s 200 Fly
Fordham senior Meg Polaha cruised to the top spot in the Women’s 200 Fly with a time of 2:00. 06. Polaha holds the current A-10 Conference Record and Meet Record of 1:58.46. Hannah Matheson, Richmond senior, dropped 4.39 seconds to take 2nd seed (2:01.54). Polaha’s teammate, Fordham freshman Mia Bullock, is in 3rd seed (2:02.06) followed closely by Duquesne sophomore Morgan Smith (2:02.09). A few minutes after making the B final in the 200 breast, Jackie Torrez qualified as 5th seed in 200 Fly (2:02.66). The remaining spots in the A final are held by George Mason teammates senior Liz Klevano (2:04.05), juior Dorothy Reilly (2:04.68), and sophomore Christina McLemore (2:04.75).
Fordham senior Kalena Laurent is top seed in the B final tonight with a time of 2:05.09.
Men’s 200 Fly
Davidson junior Riley League dropped 3.40 to earn top seed (1:48.48) in the Men’s 200 Fly followed closely by St. Louis sophomore Isaiah Williams (1:48.77). The remaining swimmers under 1:50 are George Mason junior Matthew Lynch (1:49.15), La Salle junior Jakub Bartosiewicz (1:49.32), and UMass senior Ben Sloan (1:49.99). ST. Bonaventure senior Michael White is 6th seed at 1:50.01. Fordham teammates junior Chris Viera (1:50.13) and freshman Greg Lombana (1:50.37) hold the 7th and 8th seeds.
St. Bonaventure sophomore is top seed in the B final tonight with a time of 1:50.71.
Men’s 3-Meter Diving
UMass placed 3 divers in the 3-Meter finals tonight with senior Robert Barry taking top seed and teammates junior Trent Kindvall in 5th and freshman Reece Donahue in 8th. St. Bonaventure freshman Austin Childs is seeded 2nd after prelims and George Mason senior Paul Helfgott is seeded 3rd. La Salle placed 2 divers in finals with freshman Blake Griffith (4th) and junior Dylan Yurasits qualifying (7th). George Washington sophomore Jake Ortiz in seeded 6th.
The team points are still close enough that the team positions could change significantly.
Teams placing in A finals tonight (both swimming and diving) in order of top points after Day Three.
Women
University of Richmond 6
University of Massachusetts 3
Duquesne 6
Fordham 3
Davidson 3
George Washington 2
George Mason 6
University of Rhode Island 1
St. Bonaventure 1
St. Louis 1
La Salle 0
Men
George Washington 6
La Salle 8
University of Massachusetts 7
St. Louis 3
Fordham 4
St. Bonaventure 4
George Mason 5
Davidson 3
Michelle Lombana has been a swim mom for over 15 years, serving on various boards of directors for club swimming, summer swim league, and high school swimming. She founded College Swimming Guide to help simplify the recruiting process for swimmers who want to swim in college.