The UConn men and women were both victorious over Dartmouth in their senior day dual meet this weekend. The women finished 160-121 ahead of Dartmouth, while the men swam to a final winning score of 174-126.
UConn:
women-
STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut women’s swimming and diving team sent its six seniors out on a high note after besting Dartmouth, 160-121, on Saturday in Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. The men’s team was also successful in defeating the Big Green, making it the perfect Senior Day for the Huskies. With the win, UConn finished its dual meet schedule with a record of 1-3 on the year.
The Huskies totaled 30 finishes in the top-three, which includes sweeping four different events. Sophomore Monica Marcello(Middletown, Conn.) kicked things off with an impressive diving performance as she took first on the one-meter platform with 307.64 points, which is a new pool record. Senior Taryn Urbanus (Quincy, Mass.) was second (280.20) and junior Alexandra Butera (Havertown, Pa.) was third (275.77). The trio also swept the three-meter competition in the same order with Marcello claiming the top spot behind 293.62 points.
On the swimming side, junior Christine Pedersen (Vinterbro, Norway) touched the wall in 58.19 to win the 100-backstroke with classmate Jaimie Lynn Brookover (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and freshman Annika Grewal (Oakville, Ontario) swimming the race in 58.41 and 58.46, respectively, for second and third. UConn also took the top-three places in the 200-IM, led by Grewal in a time of 2:10.96. Junior Margot Manning (Frederick, Md.) was close behind in 2:11.12, followed by senior Laura Ruttan (Stittsville, Ontario) in 2:12.66.
Grewal continued her impressive rookie campaign by also recording a win in the 200-backstroke after swimming it in 2:03.16. Pedersen claimed second in a time of 2:05.12. Other individual winners on Saturday were junior Sophie Nothnagle (Victor, N.Y.) and senior Laura Hyland (Southport, England). Nothnagle touched the wall in 2:04.32 to win the 200-butterfly, while Hyland earned first place in the 200-breaststroke after posting a time of 2:23.51.
Freshman Danielle Bordes (Alpharetta, Ga.) claimed the 100-butterfly after she swam the race in 58.38. Bordes and Pedersen joined freshmen Julie Hu (Wilton, Conn.) and Madeline Blair (Bethlehem, Pa.) for a first place finish in the 200-medley relay in a time of 1:48.39.
The Huskies return to action on Feb. 6 when they host the Husky Open, set for 10 a.m. at the Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. Admission is free for the event that will be Connecticut’s final home meet of the season.
men-
STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut men’s swimming and diving team sent its five seniors out on a high note after besting Dartmouth, 174-126, on Saturday in Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. The women’s team was also successful in defeating the Big Green, making it the perfect Senior Day for the Huskies. With the win, UConn finished its dual meet schedule with a record of 3-1 on the year.
The Huskies totaled 28 finishes in the top-three. Senior John Brice(Bala Cynwood, Pa.) swept the diving events, starting with 306.44 points on the one-meter platform and finishing with 361.20 points in the three-meter. Sophomore Daniel Kinney (Middletown, Conn.) checked in third on the one-meter behind 282.75 points. He came in second on the three-meter on 323.56 points, which qualified him for the NCAA Zone Meet.
On the swimming side, junior James Donlevy (Lake Grove, N.Y.) and senior Mike Lennon(Williston Park, N.Y.) each won a team-best two individual races. Donlevy topped the competition in two freestyle events, taking first in the 50 in a time of 21.14 and followed up by swimming the 100 in 46.57. Lennon won the 500-freestyle after he touched the wall in 4:38.87. He also led all swimmers in the 1650-freestyle (9:31.79).
UConn swept the 200-butterfly behind a 1:52.71 swim from senior Ryan Walsh (Monroe, N.Y.). Lennon was right behind him in a time of 1:53.73 followed by junior Chris Girg (Burbach, Germany), who touched the wall in 1:55.06. Other individual winners on Saturday were seniorsGreg Baliko (Fanwood, N.J.) and Jeff Magin (Brookfield, Conn.). Baliko checked in first in the 100-breaststroke in 58.33, while Magin swam to a win in the 100-backstroke (50.53). FreshmanMark Hunter (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) posted a time of 2:07.69 in the 200-breaststroke and also came in second in the 100-breaststroke (58.63).
Donlevy, Magin, Baliko and Walsh banded together for a first place finish in the 200-medley relay in a time of 1:32.37. Donlevy and Magin were a part of the 400-freestyle relay with freshman Luke Martin (Richmond, Va.) and sophomore Daniel Krentsa (Brookfield, Conn.) that came in second (3:07.78).
The Huskies return to action on Feb. 6 when they host the Husky Open, set for 10 a.m. at the Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. Admission is free for the event that will be Connecticut’s final home meet of the season.
Dartmouth:
women-
STORRS, Conn. – Dartmouth women’s swimming competed in its second to last dual meet of the 2015-16 season on Saturday when it faced Connecticut. The Big Green fell to the Huskies, 160-121, and won seven events along the way.
To start the afternoon, Dartmouth placed second in the 200-yard medley relay (1:48.52). Made up of Kendese Nangle, Megan Crook, Emily Holt and Charlotte Kamai, the Green touched less than two tenths of a second behind the Huskies in first (1:48.39).
Sophomore AnnClaire MacArt won the 1000-yard freestyle (10:27.36) shortly before taking the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.75). Later in the meet, she also won the 500-yard freestyle (5:00.64), while Olivia Samson was second (5:08.77). In the 100-yard backstroke, Allison Parent finished highest for Dartmouth in fourth place (59.94).
Nangle and Kamai took the top two spots in the 50-yard freestyle, with Nangle touching in first place (24.71) and Kamai following very soon after (24.78). Caroline Poleway took third in both the 200-yard butterfly (2:09.34) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:06.82) before finishing in second place in the 100-yard butterfly (59.25).
Crook got a win of her own in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.09), leaving two-tenths of a second between her and the second-place finisher. She added one more in the 100-yard freestyle (52.72), touching just a few tenths of a second ahead of Nangle in second place (52.94).
The Green ended the day by taking first in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:35.23). The relay, which was composed of Amber Zimmerman, Samson, MacArt and Kamai, finished two seconds ahead of UConn.
Next Sunday, Feb. 7, Dartmouth will head to New York to face conference rival Columbia in the Green’s final dual meet before the Ivy League Championship midway through the month.
men-
STORRS, Conn. – The Dartmouth men’s swimming and diving team raced in its final non-conference dual meet of the 2015-16 season on Saturday against Connecticut. The Big Green fell, 174-126, but won six events along the way.
The Green placed second in the 200-yard medley relay (1:32.87), finishing half a second behind the Huskies in first (1:32.37). Made up of James Verhagen, Aaron Athanas, David Harmon and Henry Patrick, Dartmouth left three and a half seconds between it and another UConn relay.
In the 1650-yard freestyle, Carter Jacobsen was second (10:00.13), finishing three seconds ahead of the third-place finisher. Misha Tovmashenko won the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.81) and Tony Shen was third (1:43.34), while Verhagen won the 100-yard backstroke (50.15) and Athanas came in third place (51.80). Verhagen won the 200-yard backstroke a few events later (1:51.80).
Timo Vaimann placed highest for Dartmouth in the 100-yard breaststroke, taking third (58.73) and, in the 200-yard butterfly, Harmon was fourth (1:55.58). In the 50-yard freestyle, Patrick and Brandon Boval were second (21.70) and third (21.93), respectively.
Athanas took second in the 100-yard freestyle (46.99), while Tovmashenko was third (47.07). Harmon won the 100-yard butterfly (50.22), leaving seven tenths of a second between him and the next person, while Henry Senkfor was victorious in the 200-yard IM (1:54.54).
On the 3-meter diving board, Brett Gillis placed second (291.23) and AJ Krok was fourth (276.97).
To end the meet, Dartmouth finished in first place in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:06.89). Composed of Tovmashenko, Shen, Athanas and Patrick, the Green stopped the clock less than a second before UConn did.
Next Sunday, Feb. 7, Dartmouth will head to New York to face conference rival Columbia in the Big Green’s final dual meet before the Ivy League Championship at the end of next month.
Swimming news courtesy of UConn and Dartmouth Swimming & Diving.