W&M Women, Drexel Men Lead After Day 1 of 2018 CAA Champs

2018 Colonial Athletic Association Championships

• Wednesday, February 14 – Sunday, February 18
• Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Christiansburg, VA
• Live Results
• Championship Central

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

1. Northeastern, 1:39.28
2. Drexel, 1:39.98
3. William & Mary, 1:40.58

The Northeastern women kicked off the swimming portion of the meet in dramatic fashion, as sophomore Megan Clark anchored in a 21.75 to run down Drexel for a victory and a new meet record.  Drexel’s Alexa Kutch was the only woman to go under 25 on the backstroke leg (24.52), and a 28.06 by Gab Rudy gave Drexel almost a one second lead at the halfway point, but Sara Touchette-McGowan dipped under 24 on the fly leg (23.92), before Clark sealed the deal.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

1. William & Mary, 1:28.07
2. Towson, 1:29.00
3. Drexel, 1:29.01

On the men’s side, it was the race for 2nd that proved to be most exciting.  The Tribe men had three solid splits to start the race, and were already in the lead before anchor Colin Wright had the fastest free split in the field at 19.56 to secure the victory.  Towson was in 4th at the halfway point, but a 20.64 from Jack Saunderson on the fly leg and a 19.91 anchor by Matthew Essing were enough to run down Drexel and take 2nd by the narrowest of margins.

Women’s 800 Free Relay

1. William & Mary, 7:15.12
2. James Madison, 7:17.23
3. Towson, 7:19.81

Megan Bull got the Tribe out to an early lead with a 1:48.45 leadoff leg, and that time would prove to be faster than every other split in the field, leadoff or on a flying start, except one.  James Madison’s Bonnie Zhang did her best to close on W&M on her anchor leg, splitting a 1:47.27 that was well over a second faster than anyone else in the lead, but it wasn’t enough to make up the difference, as W&M still won by over two seconds.

Men’s 800 Free Relay

1. William & Mary, 6:33.00
2. Drexel, 6:33.38
3. UNC-Wilmington, 6:39.44

It was W&M and Drexel way out ahead of everyone else by the end of the race.  Jack Cosgrove actually put UNCW in the lead after the first 200 yards, leading off in 1:38.18.  Drexel took over by the halfway point, thanks to a. 1:37.70 by Patrick Cobb.  The lead changed hands once again on the third leg when W&M’s Ben Skopic also dipped under 1:38 (1:37.40).  Kyle Neri of the Tribe and Drexel’s Kiran Richardson battled stroke for stroke for the final few laps, with Neri hanging on to give W&M the title.

Team Scores Through Day 1

Women:

1. William and Mary, 72
2. Northeastern, 68
3. Drexel, 64
4. Towson, 62
5. UNC-Wilmington, 52
6. Delaware, 52

Men (including 1m diving):

1. Drexel, 116
2. UNC-Wilmington, 91
3. Delaware, 88
4. Towson, 87
5. William and Mary, 80