UMass Rolls To Sweep of Bryant

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts swimming and diving team closed out its Saturday morning competition against Bryant University at Joseph R. Rogers, Jr. Pool with a Senior Day victory. The Minutewomen topped the Bulldogs, 181-88, while the Minutemen won 172.5-115.5.

Sophomore diver Andrew Bell picked up two gold medals in both diving events, including scoring a six-dive total of 409.05 in the one-meter dive, breaking his own previous school record of 385.43. Freshmen Beren Cakiroglu and Lindsay Burbage, and junior Anna Kwon tallied two first-place finishes apiece for the Minutewomen, as senior Minuteman Jack Artis touched the wall first twice on the day, as well.

Women’s Swimming & Diving

The Minutewomen tallied 24 top-three finishes, with coming away with 12 individual gold medals.

Cakiroglu swam a time of 1:55.84 to place first in the 200 freestyle, before senior Bri Williams picked up the gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 57.79. Burbage touched the wall first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.69, followed by fifth-year student Summer Pierce in second with a time of 1:08.54.

In the 200 butterfly, Kwon paced the Minutewomen with a time of 2:06.29 to finish first, as freshman Olga Stoura recorded a personal-best time of 2:11.66 to claim third. Senior Maggie Desmond raced into first with a time of 23.69 in the 50 freestyle event with fellow classmate Caroline Mahoney close behind in second with a time of 23.82.

Mahoney received the gold in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.14, while Stoura took second with a time of 54.42. The Minutewomen, then, swept the podium in the 200 backstroke with senior Megan Mitchell leading with a time of 2:02.98. Williams finished second with a time of 2:04.97 and freshman Ali Merone earned third with a time of 2:11.15.

Another podium sweep saw Burbage secure her second individual gold of the day, swimming a time of 2:26.47 in the 200 breaststroke. Cakiroglu followed with a time of 2:26.70 in second and freshman Diya Ackerman-Vallala finished in third with a time of 2:28.83. Kwon placed first for the second time on the afternoon, recording a time of 5:07.50 in the 500 freestyle, as freshman Sophie Porter took third with a time of 5:26.38.

Pierce collected the gold in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.45. Cakiroglu earned another first-place finish on the day in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:09.98, while Kwon finished second in the event with a time of 2:10.02.

In the relays, the team of Mitchell, Burbage, Pierce and Desmond took first in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:45.86. The squad of Williams, Ackerman-Vallala, senior Ashley Calderon and Mahoney placed second in the event, combining for a time of 1:47.41.
The 200 freestyle relay team consisting of Calderon, Mitchell, Desmond and Mahoney swam a time of 1:36.37 to claim first.

Men’s Swimming & Diving

The Minutemen tallied 25 top-three finishes, while collecting eight individual gold medals on the day.

Freshmen Jude Boukarroum and Aydin Erkan started off the individual events in the 1,000 freestyle, grabbing second (9:55.80) and third (10:08.43), respectively. Boukarroum’s time marked a season-best for the rookie. The 200 freestyle saw senior Juan Montori touch the wall first with a time of 1:44.66, followed by freshman Alonso Montori in third with a time of 1:45.75.

In the 100 backstroke, junior Beau Bengston swam a season-best time of 52.50 to claim second, while senior Eric Eastham finished 0.01 second behind in third (52.51). Artis led the way in the 100 breastroke with a time of 58.24 to collect the gold, as fellow classmate Freddie Borg earned the bronze with a time of 59.03 in the event.

Senior Charles Blanc placed first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:55.05 and junior Jake Bailey swam into second-place with a time of 1:58.06. Sophomore Sammy Quigg took first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.89, as sophomore Aidan Shepston recorded a season-best time of 21.41 in the event to claim third.

Graduate student Emerson Kiefer swam a time of 47.65 in the 100 freestyle to touch the wall first with Alonso Montori finished tied for third with a time of 48.06. Eastham secured the silver in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:55.58. Artis picked up his second gold medal of the day with a time of 2:09.16 in the 200 breaststroke.

In the 500 freestyle, Boukarroum (4:47.43) and senior Wilson Dubois (4:52.16) placed second and third, respectively. Juan Montori swam a time of 50.78 in the 100 butterfly to finish in second place. Senior Sam Haddad capped off the individual events with a first-place finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:56.32.

During the relay events, the 200 medley relay team of Bengston, Artis, junior Grant Beebe and Quigg swam into first place with a combined time of 1:33.86. The 200 freestyle team of Beebe, Shepston, Juan Montori and Quigg placed first after swimming a time of 1:25.32

On The Boards
Sophomore Shreeya Sinha competed for the Minutewomen in the diving events, placing second in both the one-meter and three-meter dive. She had a six-dive total of 242.48 in the one-meter, after scoring a 214.73 in the three-meter.

Bell broke a new school record in the one-meter dive, earning a personal-best score of 409.05 to claim the gold. He took first in the three-meter dive, as well, with his total of 364.28. Graduate student Tommy Cotner finished second in both events with season-best totals. In the one-meter, Cotner scored a 287.55, before earning a score of 313.43 in the three-meter.

Up Next

Massachusetts returns to the pool on Friday, January 19, for the Tate Ramsden Invitational, in Hanover, New Hampshire at 5 p.m.