Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays opened their 2015-16 season in style with the two day Thomas Murphy Invitational with Boston College, hosted by Loyola University.
Women’s Meet
On the women’s side, the Jays claimed 15 of the 18 events, topping Loyola 196-168 and Boston College 201.5-162.5. They were led by a quartet of sophomores, with Anna Wisniewski at the helm.
Wisniewski commanded three individual victories and helped put four relays atop the podium over the course of the two day meet. Her individual wins came in the 50 free (24.21), 100 free (52.62), and 200 free (1:57.87) but she played an integral role on the medley relays as a butterflier, splitting a 25.38 on the 200 medley and a 56.27 on the 400 medley. Wisniewski’s times in her 50 and 100 place her 3rd and 6th in DIII so far this year.
Distance ace Cournety Cowan also had a strong showing for the Jays, claiming victory in the 500 (5:06.92) and the 1650 (17:50.80) individually as well as putting up powerful legs on the victorious 400, 800 and (surprisingly) 200 freestyle relays. Both Cowan’s individual events place her in the top 10 in DIII this year, with her mile ranking second (and seven seconds ahead of third).
The other two sophomores in the powerhouse quartet were Kaitlin Jones and Gwynnie LaMastra. Jones swept the IM events, recording the top time so far in DIII in the 400 IM (4:35.99) and the 4th best 200 IM (2:09.89). LaMastra finished as runner up in the 200 IM (2:10.42) and went on to sweep the breaststroke events. Her 100 breast (106.44) and 200 breast (2:24.26) rank her 5th and 4th, respectively.
Junior Abby Brown provided the last individual victory of the meet for the Jays women, picking up the 200 butterfly in a 2:09.52.
Boston College’s Erika Freeman swept the backstroke events, posting the only sub minute time (59.95) to claim the 100 and a 2:08.75 to cinch the 200. Teammate Jordan Parry, a senior for BC grabbed the 100 fly in a tight race to the finish, touching in at 57.59 for the win.
Loyola University featured freshman Lindsey Staszewski on the boards after she won the Female Diver of the Week for the Corvias Patriot league last week. For the second time this season, Staszewski swept the boards, posting a 241.80 to claim 1 meter and a 242.76 for 3 meter. She is undefeated on 3 meter so far.
Men’s Meet
On the men’s side, Johns Hopkins came away with a win and a tie. Hopkins topped host Loyola (226-132) and tied with Boston College (182-182).
Juniors Evan Holder and Andrew Greenhalgh led the Jays with two individual wins. Holder started off by throwing down a 56.82 breaststroke split on the Jays’ victorious 400 medley relay, then went on to claim wins in the 200 IM (1:53.71) and 200 freestyle (1:42.66). Those times put him first and second, respectively, in DIII. Holder also swam on the runner up 200 freestyle, 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Greenhalgh is, first and foremost, a distance athlete and wasted no time getting down to the business of being the best. He ran away with the victory in the 500 freestyle by over five seconds, putting up a 4:35.40 to take the top spot at the Invitational and in Division III. During the second day of the meet, Greenhalgh moonlighted as a mid-distance to post a 1:44.57 on the Jays’ victorious 800 freestyle relay before destroying all hopes and dreams in the men’s 1650. Greenhalgh cruised to a 15:52.09, touching 48 seconds ahead of the runner up and slapping his name on the top time in DIII for the mile so far this year.
Other victorious Jays include sophomores Mark Wilson and Kyle Otazu who split the butterfly victories. Wilson claimed the 100 butterfly, putting up a 51.35 to win by almost a second. That time just sneaks him into the top 10 nationally. Otazu’s 200 fly (1:55.07) puts him 8th in the country right now.
Boston College had three double winners in Dan Kelly, Taylor Cortens and Cole Malatesta. Kelly snagged the 50 freestyle victory (20.94) and was the only athlete under the 21 second mark. In the 100 free he was over a second ahead of the runner up, touching at 46.37 for the win. Additionally, Kelly played a role on BC’s victorious 200 and 400 freestyle and 200 medley relays.
Cortens was runner up in the 200 IM but didn’t let that stop him from grabbing the 400 IM by over seven seconds (4:05.52), and then later claiming the 200 backstroke by just over two seconds as well in 1:52.44.
Malatesta swept the diving events, posting 345.30 to win 3 meter and 314.85 for 1 meter.
Loyola sophomore Ben Cono had a huge meet that began with a 55.89 split on Loyola’s runner up 400 medley relay. From there, he took down the school record in the 100 breaststroke, posting an even swifter 55.35 to claim the event. The old record was set in 2011 by Matt Fralinger at 55.55. On the 200 medley relay, Cono also put up a 23.04 breaststroke split and then dropped a 2:02.40 to win the men’s 200 breast by over six seconds.
Zeke Wolfgang grabbed the other event victory for Loyola in the 100 back, touching in at 52.48 to win by .02 seconds.
go bop
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