Swimming is most exciting during a close race with something on the line. Swimming is a sport about racing. Beating the person in the next lane with a different cap on. While there aren’t championships to win this time of year in NCAA swimming, there are dual meets, and this weekend was full of some good ones with lots of close, meaningful, exciting races. We lack the manpower to give a full recap of every great meet, but I’ve compiled quick summaries of the best this weekend had to offer.
The best meet of the weekend. After the 200 back, Vermont held a 26 point lead (107-81) over the defending America East champions with only 6 events remaining. New Hampshire outscored Vermont 74-38 over the final 6 events to take the win. The comeback was completed with a win by .11 in the 200 free relay. The decisive 200 free relay was close throughout. After the second swimmers finished New Hampshire led by .04. After 3 swimmers their lead was .06, and Corrine Carbone’s 24.22 anchor leg gave them the final margin of .11.
Women: Wisconsin 157, Minnesota 143
This meet came down to the final relay. Wisconsin star Beata Nelson came from behind to win the final relay with a huge final turn and a 48.98 split. For more detail, this meet received a full recap. Read it here.
Rhode Island won the last 3 individual events to come from behind to beat Maine. The comeback was keyed by a 1-2 finish in the 100 fly and a 1-3-4 finish on the 3 meter. Nicole Petta’s win in the 200 IM and a second place finish in the 200 free relay were just enough to seal the win.
Duquesne 156, Youngstown State 144
This meet wasn’t decided until Duquesne’s win in the 200 free relay. Hannah Olger got Youngstown State out to an early lead in the decisive relay, but Duquesne had a faster split on each remaining leg to take the relay by over a second.
Women: Bucknell 151, Boston 148
Bucknell was able to overcome Boston’s huge diving advantage (1-2 on the 1 meter, 1-2-3 on the 3 meter) by beating Boston to the wall in 9 of 14 swimming events including the 200 medley relay. This was a double dual with Bucknell, BU and Richmond. Per the Bucknell website’s recap of the meet: “Bucknell’s win over Richmond, which has won 15 of the past 17 A-10 titles, was its first in program history”
Women: Iona 141, Holy Cross 139
This was another meet decided in the final relay. Iona’s Kate Flynn (53.86 split) held off a hard charging Kayleigh Hoagland (52.78) to win the 400 free relay and the meet for the Gaels. The meet took place in front of a “near capacity crowd at Hynes Athletic Center Pool” per Iona’s recap.
Women: George Mason 153, Delaware 147
Similarly to the Iona/Holy Cross meet, George Mason won this meet in the final relay with anchor Marla Albanese (53.30) holding off Athena Cimino (52.87). Mason’s fastest relay split came from freshman Laura Hodge with a 52.97 split. Hodge also had wins in the 200 and 500 free and a runner up finish in the 200 fly. Mason’s MVP was senior Brittany Murphy who swept the 50 and 100 free and provided key legs on two winning relays. Delaware was led by a butterfly sweep by Mina Feyrer.
Campbell 137, UNC Asheville 125
Campbell’s relay sweep was enough to overcome Asheville’s wins in 6 of 11 individual events. Sarah Wilson’s 23.55 (fastest on either team by over half a second) anchor split on the 200 free relay sealed the meet for the Camels and came on the heals of Wilson’s 24.62 3rd place finish in the individual 50.
Women: East Carolina 136, William & Mary 126
Men: East Carolina 136, William & Mary 126
This meet saw East Carolina sweep the men’s and women’s meets by identical scores. The women’s meet wasn’t decided until the final relay where anchor Stef Scherwitzel (51.63) was able to hold the lead created by Catherine Johnson’s 51.76 lead off swim.
With a 10 point margin of victory, either meet would have ended in a tie if William & Mary had been able to flip any single East Carolina event win. With that in mind, Mariana Vignoli’s win by .98 in the women’s 1000 over Megan Bull and Marek Osina’s win by .11 over Steven Thalblum in the men’s 200 fly appear extra important.