Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened the season against Cazenovia College on Friday night at the  Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J. Pool. The women defeated the Wildcats, 102-85, while team scores were not kept on the men's side due to a lack of Wildcat competitors.

The quartet of sophomores Alyssa Baker (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) and Kelsey Smith (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley), freshman Emily Nicastro (Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and senior Tara O'Donnell (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem) opened the meet by winning the 200-yard medley relay in 1:55.46. Smith picked up her first individual victory of the campaign in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.84. O'Donnell then won the 50-yard freestyle by 0.01 seconds with a time of 25.48. Nicastro took first place in the 200-yard IM in 2:24.23 for her first collegiate win. Sophomore Brittney Liddy (Rome, N.Y./Rome Free Academy/Iona) posted 178.55 points to win the one-meter diving event in her Dolphin debut. Sophomore Lindsey Wright (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) touched the wall first in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:05.36.

On the men's side, freshmen Cory Knapp (Weedsport, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) and David Mercado (Bronx, N.Y./All Hallows), sophomore Pat McCormick (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) and senior Craig Carey (Belle Harbor, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) posted a time of 1:45.53 in the 200-yard medley relay to open the meet. Knapp tallied his first collegiate victory in the 50-yard freestyle in 22.83 seconds. He picked up another win with a time of 50.36 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle. Sophomore Andy Raiola (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xavier) earned his first win of the season with a time of 10:33.06 in the 1000-yard freestyle. He added a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 56.06 seconds. Junior Tim Buff (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) was also a dual winner on the night. He posted a time of 1:51.32 to claim first in the 200-yard freestyle and then won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:04.54. Junior Ben Verdi (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's) touched the wall first in the 200-yard IM in 2:04.28. Senior Josh Byrne (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) registered 274.85 points to win the one-meter diving event. Senior Chris Mosconi (Gloversville, N.Y./Gloversville) was the first finisher in the 100-backstroke with a time of 57.03 seconds. Sophomore Travis May (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) claimed the 500-yard freestyle in 5:22.51. Mercado and Knapp teamed with classmates Eric Burdge (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) and Connor Haldane (Homer, N.Y./Homer) to close out the meet with a time of 1:33.69 in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

The Dolphins are back in the pool on Friday and Saturday at Colgate University for a tri-meet along with the University of Massachusetts.