2021 America East Championships Day 2: Binghamton & UMBC Locked in Tight Battle

2021 AMERICA EAST SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When:
  • Diving: Saturday, April 17 – Sunday, April 18
  • Swimming: Friday, April 23 – Sunday, April 25
• Where: 
  • Diving: Vestal, NY
  • Swimming: Newark, NJ
• Defending champions: New Hampshire women (1x) & UMBC men (4x) – results
• Championship central
• Live Results

Team Standings (Diving + Day 2 Swimming)

WOMEN

1. New Hampshire – 536
2. Vermont – 452.5
3. UMBC – 402
4. Binghamton – 346
5. Maine – 277.5
6. Stony Brook – 265
7. VMI – 127

MEN

1. Binghamton – 632
2. UMBC – 574
3. NJIT – 423
4. VMI – 298
5. Maine – 242

Women’s Recap:

New Hampshire continued to roll on the 2nd day of swimming at these championships, winning 5 of the 7 day 2 events. UNH kicked off the day with a win in the 200 free relay, with anchor Cate Wardinski (23.04) pulling away from Vermont to get her hand on the wall in 1:34.28. Olivia Stille, Anna Metzler, and Abby McKinney were also on the New Hampshire relay.

Of the UNH 200 free relay members, Abby McKinney and Anna Metzler went on to win individual titles. McKinney took the 100 fly, leading a 1-2 charge by New Hampshire. She clocked a 55.74, narrowly leading teammate Michaela Herwig (55.95). Both McKinney and Herwig are freshmen, setting New Hampshire up nicely for the next few years in the women’s 100 fly.

Metzler went on to take the 200 free, swimming a 1:48.74 to touch as the only swimmer in the field under 1:50. It was another 1-2 finish for UNH, with Olivia Stille, who was also on the 200 free relay, finishing 2nd in 1:50.01. Metzler is a junior, and Stille a sophomore, so both will be back in action next year. Metzler also swam the 100 back today, finishing 2nd in 55.86.

After winning 2 relays and an individual title on day 1, UNH sophomore Jamy Lum picked up her 2nd individual title by winning the 100 breast. Lum took the title in decisive fashion, roaring to the wall in 1:01.82 to touch first by nearly 2 full seconds. The race was Lum’s from the start, as she split 28.94 on the first 50, which was the only sub-30 split in the field.

Lum was also on the New Hampshire 400 medley relay, along with Metzler, McKinney, and Stille. Metzler led off in 56.33, with Lum splitting 1:01.81 on breaststroke, McKinney splitting 55.55 fly, and Stille anchoring in 50.17, for a 3:43.86. UNH won the relay by almost 5 seconds, making them 4-for-4 on relays so far this weekend.

UMBC’s Caroline Sargent won the 100 back over Metzler, speeding to a 55.74. Vermont’s Kira Parker was 3rd in 55.98, marking just a 0.24 seconds difference between 1st and 3rd. Sargent, Metzler, and Parker are all juniors, so we could see another rematch in this event next year.

Vermont picked up a win in the 400 IM, with senior Katie Rivers posting a 4:28.14. Rivers’ strength was in breaststroke, where she pulled away from the rest of the field and was able to hold on.

Men’s Recap:

Binghamton has maintained their lead over 4x defending champions UMBC heading into the final day of the meet. UMBC fought back, taking 4 of 7 events on day 2, including both relays. The Retrievers got out to a hot start, landing a critical win over Binghamton in the 200 free relay. UMBC’s squad of Gabriel Laracuente, Bode Neale, Ryan Harding, and Niklas Weigelt combined for a 1:21.95 to get on the wall first and earn 40 points for the team.

UMBC went on to claim a title in the next event, with senior Kai Wisner swimming a 3:55.44 to win the 400 IM. Binghamton’s Henry Shemet (3:56.43) was leading at the 300 mark, but Wisner overtook him by a second on the free leg.

Binghamton freshman Jake Vecchio took the 100 fly with a 48.98, leading NJIT freshman Ian Horstkamp-Vinek (49.38) into the wall. Horstkamp-Vinek was leading slightly at the 50 mark, but Vecchio came home faster, getting his hands on the wall first by a solid margin.

UMBC was back in the saddle in the next event, the 200 free, where sophomore Niklas Weigelt pulled away from the field, touching in 1:38.12. It was a 1-2 finish for UMBC, with Bode Neale, a freshman, touching 2nd in 1:39.74. Weigelt and Neale flipped in a tie at the 100 mark (48.14), but Wiegelt held it together better on the back half of the race.

Binghamton junior Ryan Board won the 100 breast in 54.70. Board beat out UMBC freshman Daniel Nicusan, who was the top seed and touched in 54.91. The event was huge for Binghamton, as they picked up 3rd and 4th place finishes as well.

NJIT picked up another title at their first America East Championships, with junior Edward Madrigal swimming a 49.73 100 back. Madrigal was the only swimmer in the field under 50 seconds. He posted the fastest splits in the field on both 50s of the race.

UMBC finished out the session with a win in the 400 medley relay. Luka Zuric, Daniel Nicusan, Matt Hoskins, and Bode Neale combined for a 3:18.44, passing Binghamton and NJIT on the final 100 of the race.