New Haven, Conn. – Seniors Drew Acquaviva (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem) and Katie O'Donnell (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem) won two events each to lead the Le Moyne College men's and women's swimming and diving teams at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships hosted by Southern Connecticut State at Hutchinson Natatorium from Thursday to Saturday. The men placed fourth in the team standings, while the women finished in sixth place.
In the men's team competition, Le Moyne registered 502 points to place fourth for the second straight year. Southern Connecticut State cruised to its second straight conference title and eighth in the last nine years with 934 points. Saint Rose tallied 705.5 to place second for the second straight year, while Bentley was one place behind again this year with 566 points. Adelphi finished fifth with 393 points, St. Michael's was sixth with 197 points and Pace wrapped up the standings with 161.5 points.
On the women's side, Le Moyne tallied 324 points to place sixth. Southern Connecticut registered 956 points to capture the team title for the ninth consecutive season. Bentley placed second with 670 points, while Saint Rose took third with 587 points. Assumption took fourth with 526 points and Pace was sixth with 338 points. St. Michael's and Adelphi rounded out the standings with 207 and 198 points, respectively.
On the men's side, Acquaviva picked up his first victory of the Championships by placing first in the 100-yard backstroke for the third consecutive year with a conference-record and NCAA "B"-cut time of 50.28 seconds, the best time of his career in the event. He was the top seed in the finals after setting the NE-10 record in the preliminaries with a time of 50.44 seconds, eclipsing the mark of 50.72 he set in last year's prelims. In the second event on Saturday, Acquaviva captured the 200-yard backstroke for the third straight year by setting a new conference record with an NCAA "B"-cut time of 1:51.77, the fastest time of his career in the event. He also registered a second-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle for the second straight year with a career-best time of 21.41 seconds.
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Senior Drew Acquaviva after receiving his gold medal for winning the 200-yard backstroke |
Acquaviva was also a member of four top-four relays. In the opening event of the Championships, he teamed with freshman Richard Divaccaro (Woodstown, N.J./Woodstown) and juniors Tim Gallivan (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) and Scott Thieke (Jamesville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) to place third in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a season-best time of 1:27.28. To close out Thursday's competition, the quartet of Acquaviva, Gallivan, Thieke and senior Joe Taylor (Essex Fells, N.J./West Essex) placed third in the 400-yard medley relay in a season-best 3:33.07. On Friday night, Acquaviva, Taylor, Gallivan and Divaccaro combined to place fourth in the 200-yard medley relay in a season-best 1:36.98. In the final event of the Championships, Thieke, Gallivan, Acquaviva and senior Andrew Dearing (Kenmore, N.Y./Canisius HS) placed fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a season-best time of 3:13.85. At the end of Friday's competition, Thieke, sophomore Connor Agen (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee), Dearing and sophomore Greg Sanzari (Newington, Conn./Newington) posted third-place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a season-best time of 7:17.75.
Gallivan and Agen each added third-place finishes over the three days. Gallivan placed third in the 100-yard butterfly on Friday with a career-best time of 52.80 seconds. Agen opened Saturday's competition by posting a season-best time of 16:40.73 to finish third in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Thieke registered a fifth-place finish on Friday night in the 400-yard IM with a career-best time of 4:21.34. Senior Jack Fletcher (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) placed fourth in each of the two diving events. He registered a career-best 230.05 points in the 3-meter event and a career-high 268 points in the 1-meter event.
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Senior Katie O'Donnell after receiving her gold medal for winning the 200-yard backstroke |
O'Donnell won her fourth and fifth career conference titles by winning the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke. She touched the wall first in the 100-yard backstroke for the second straight year and the third time in her career with a conference-record and NCAA "B"-cut time of 56.27 seconds. On Saturday night, she captured the 200-yard backstroke with an NE-10 record and NCAA "B"-cut time of 2:01.93. In Friday's third event, the 100-yard butterfly, O'Donnell suffered her first loss of the year by finishing third with an NCAA "B"-cut time of 57.08. After winning the two backstroke events, O'Donnell is 23-1 on the season. O'Donnell also posted an NCAA "B" cut time of 24.36 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle in a time trial at the end of Friday's competition.
O'Donnell was also a member of four top-six relay squads. She teamed with classmates Mary Chidsey (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) and Maureen McDonough (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph Hill Academy) and sophomore Allie Scorzelli (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) to place sixth in the meet-opening 200-yard freestyle relay with a season-best time of 1:41.59. O'Donnell, Chidsey, McDonough and sophomore Sarah Connelly (Peru, N.Y./Peru) combined to finish sixth in Thursday's final event, the 400-yard medley relay, with a season-best time of 4:08.74. In Friday's first event, O'Donnell and Chidsey teamed with juniors Jacqueline Daly (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) and Julia Jones (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) to place fourth in the 200-yard medley relay in a season-best 1:51.24. The quartet of O'Donnell, Chidsey, Scorzelli and McDonough closed out the Championships by placing fifth in the 400-yard freestyle with a season-best time of 3:43.14.
Scorzelli added Le Moyne's only other top-five finish by placing fifth in the 400-yard IM with a season-best time of 4:52.24.
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Women's Team Results
1. Southern Connecticut State 965, 2. Bentley 670, 3. Saint Rose 587, 4. Assumption 526, 5. Pace 338, 6. Le Moyne 324, 7. Saint Michael's 207, 8. Adelphi 198.
Women's Individual Winners
200 Yard Freestyle Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Anna Pleban, Nicole Caron, Amanda Thomas, Sarah Thompson) 1:38.11 (NE-10 Record), 500 Yard Freestyle – Nadine Edwards (Bentley) 5:07.32, 200 Yard IM – Amanda Thomas (Southern Connecticut State) 2:03.29 (NE-10 Record), 50 Yard Freestyle – Eileen Mullowney (St. Michael's) 24.23, 1 mtr Diving – Amanda Burden (Southern Connecticut State) 413.30 (NE-10 Record), 400 Yard Medley Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Rachel Smolensky, Jessica Rickel, Amanda Thomas, Anna Pleban) 3:56.90, 200 Yard Medley Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Nicole Caron, Shannen Barnard, Kerry Sullivan, Sarah Thompson) 1:49.40, 400 Yard IM – Caitlin Brauer (Saint Rose) 4:25.78, 100 Yard Butterfly – Amanda Thomas (Southern Connecticut State) 54.82 (NE-10 Record), 200 Yard Freestyle – Eileen Mullowney (St. Michael's) 1:54.67, 100 Yard Breaststroke – Jessica Hodsdon (Bentley) 1:04.08 (NE-10 Record), 100 Yard Backstroke – Katie O'Donnell (Le Moyne) 56.27 (NE-10 Record), 800 Yard Freestyle Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Anna Pleban, Nicole Huerta, Amanda Thomas, Meghan Fay) 7:46.01, 1650 Yard Freestyle – Caitlin Peterson (Saint Rose) 17:42.69, 200 Yard Backstroke – Katie O'Donnell (Le Moyne) 2:01.93 (NE-10 Record), 100 Yard Freestyle – Eileen Mullowney (St. Michael's) 52.88, 200 Yard Breaststroke – Caitlin Brauer (Saint Rose) 2.22.08, 200 Yard Butterfly – Amanda Thomas (Southern Connecticut State) 2:01.22 (NE-10 Record), 3 mtr Diving – Amanda Burden (Southern Connecticut State) 421.12, 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Saint Rose (Kiersten Beckford, Erin Ludeke, Caitlin Peterson, Caitlin Brauer) 3:36.44.
Men's Team Results
1. Southern Connecticut State 934, 2. Saint Rose 705.5, 3. Bentley 566, 4. Le Moyne 502, 5. Adelphi 393, 6. Saint Michael's 197, 7. Pace 161.5.
Men's Individual Winners
200 Yard Freestyle Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Jared Thurston, Austin Mizzell, Christian Sinchi, Miguel Nesrala) 1:25.84, 500 Yard Freestyle – Matt Sorena (Southern Connecticut State) 4:35.42 (NE-10 Record), 200 Yard IM – Vadim Yafayev (Saint Rose) 1:52.86 (NE-10 Record), 50 Yard Freestyle – Miguel Nesrala (Southern Connecticut State) 20.84 (NE-10 Record), 3 mtr Diving – Mike Walsh (Bentley) 381.20, 400 Yard Medley Relay – Saint Rose (Vadim Yafayev, Steve Delarede, Kyle Wilson, Bryan Shaver) 3:29.93, 200 Yard Medley Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Miguel Nesrala, Austin Mizzell, Matt Sorena, Jared Thurston) 1:33.38 (NE-10 Record), 400 Yard IM – Vadim Yafayev (Saint Rose) 4:00.58 (NE-10 Record), 100 Yard Butterfly – Corey McKee (Adelphi) 50.98, 200 Yard Freestyle – Kyle Wilson (Saint Rose) 1:42.88, 100 Yard Breaststroke – Austin Mizzell (Southern Connecticut State) 56.34 (NE-10 Record), 100 Yard Backstroke – Drew Acquaviva (Le Moyne) 50.28 (NE-10 Record), 1 mtr Diving – Mike Walsh (Bentley) 440.35, 800 Yard Freestyle Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Austin Mizzell, Miguel Nesrala, Joseph Polaco, Matt Sorena) 6:53.59, 1650 Yard Freestyle – Matt Sorena (Southern Connecticut State) 15:56.19 (NE-10 Record), 200 Yard Backstroke – Drew Acquaviva (Le Moyne) 1:51.77 (NE-10 Record), 100 Yard Freestyle – Miguel Nesrala (Southern Connecticut State) 45.47, 200 Yard Breaststroke – Austin Mizzell (Southern Connecticut State) 2:00.76 (NE-10 Record), 200 Yard Butterfly – Matt Sorena (Southern Connecticut State) 1:52.00 (NE-10 Record), 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Southern Connecticut State (Miguel Nesrala, Austin Mizzell, Jared Thurston, Matt Sorena) 3:07.81 (NE-10 Record).