New Paltz Women
A well-rounded effort from top to bottom helped the State University of New York at New Paltz women’s swimming team claim a 160-97 victory over Ramapo College in its 2013-14 home opener at Elting Pool Saturday. The Hawks posted the fastest time in 12 of the 14 events contested.
Four Hawks finished with two individual event victories. Senior Chelsea Allocco (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) took first in the 1,000 freestyle (11:06.26) and the 500 freestyle (5:22.82), sophomore Cassidy Griger (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown Central) placed first in the 200 freestyle (2:00.61) and the 100 freestyle (55.53), junior Samantha Granan (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt) won the 100 breaststroke (1:10.82) and the 200 breaststroke (2:37.77) and sophomore Kim Kallansrude (Muttontown, N.Y./Jericho) touched the wall first in the 200 butterfly (2:17.44) and the 100 butterfly (1:02.98).
New Paltz starts off its dual-meet season at 1-0 and competes at the NYU Invitational from Friday-Saturday, Nov. 8-9, at New York University. Friday’s session begins at 5 p.m., while Saturday features a prelim/final format with start times of each session at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. Ramapo falls to 1-2 and hosts the New Jersey Institute of Technology next on Saturday at 2 p.m.
In addition to the Hawks’ four double-individual-event victors, senior Victoria Scalise (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) and sophomore Casey O’Connor (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) each boasted a first-place finish individually. Scalise clocked the top time in the 50 freestyle (25.92), while O’Connor paced the field in the 200 backstroke (2:21.76).
New Paltz posted the top standard in each of the two relay events, but its 400 freestyle relay was entered as exhibition. Griger, Granan, sophomore Ella Graffin (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) and Scalise teamed up to win the 200 medley relay in 1:54.67, while Griger, Graffin, junior Kat Buyes (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay) and Scalise combined talents to clock an event-best 3:46.80 in the 400 freestyle relay.
Runner-up finishers for the Hawks included freshman Ann Fici (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) in the 1,000 freestyle (11:26.22), Buyes in the 200 freestyle (2:03.86) and the 500 freestyle (5:37.23), O’Connor in the 100 backstroke (1:06.69), sophomore Maggie Heaton (New Milford, Conn./New Milford) in the 200 butterfly (2:19.30) and the 100 butterfly (1:03:30), Scalise in the 100 freestyle (56.20), sophomore Krista VerMeersch (Newark, N.Y./Newark) in the 200 breaststroke (2:42.49) and Granan in the 200 individual medley.
New Paltz Men
Junior Jack Spader (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) won two individual events, but the State University of New York at New Paltz men’s swimming team wound up losing by a 153-104 final to Ramapo College in its 2013-14 home openerSaturday at Elting Pool.
Spader was the lone Hawk to register a first-place finish. Freshman Rob Cahn (Bellmore, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) scored first-place points in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:20.48, but Ramapo had tagged its entries in that event as exhibition. New Paltz’s 400 freestyle relay foursome of senior Matt Distler (Glens Falls, N.Y./Glens Falls), sophomore Rod Taskindoust (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown North), freshman Luke Zenir (Cherry Valley, N.Y./Cooperstown Central) and sophomore Ethan Cooke (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) also collected first-place points for the Hawks with a time of 3:26.76, but the Roadrunners filed all three of its entries as exhibition in that event as well. In each of those events, Ramapo had an exhibition entry that posted the top time.
New Paltz drops to 0-1 for the season and competes at the NYU Invitational from Friday-Saturday, Nov. 8-9, at New York University. Friday’s session begins at 5 p.m., while Saturday features a prelim/final format with start times of each session at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. Ramapo rises to 2-1 and hosts the New Jersey Institute of Technology next on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Distler picked up a pair of second-place finishes for the Hawks, going 22.89 in the 50 freestyle and 51.08 in the 100 freestyle. Freshman Vitaut Gurskiy (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) finished as runner-up in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.77), while Taskindoust touched second in the 200 freestyle (1:52.08).
This release was provided to SwimSwam courtesy of New Paltz Swimming and Diving.