Loyola University Maryland newcomers combined to post four of the Greyhounds’ 10 victories Friday night in the season-opening session against American University.
Ben Cono, a transfer from North Carolina State University, and Lindsey Staszewski, a first-year diver, each won two events. Cono took titles in the men’s 200-yard individual medley and 50 yard breaststroke, while Staszewski won both the 1- and 3-meter diving crowns.
Staszewski’s 258.21 points in the 1-meter event were just 19 away from the NCAA Zone Diving qualifying mark, and she then posted a score of 246.60 in the 3-meter event.
Cono posted a nearly four-second win in the 200 IM, swimming a time of 1:56.71 to lead teammates Zeke Wolfgang (2:00.60) and John Callaghan (2:02.22) to a one-two-three-finish.
He came back later in the session to win the 50-yard backstroke in 26.13. Callaghan was second in the race (28.08), edging Chris Cary (28.21).
Alec Speranido led a top-four sweep in the men’s 50-yard freestyle for Loyola, an event in which the Greyhounds took 10 of the top 11 spots. Speranido touched the wall in 21.91, followed by Gabriel Perez (22.04), Rich Mueller (22.07) and Madison Hardimon (22.29).
Mueller later led a one-two finish for Loyola in the 50-yard butterfly, edging Cary, 23.97-24.05.
Wolfgang was another Loyola victor, taking top honors in the 50-yard backstroke in 24.97. He out-touched American’s Kilian Korth by just 0.05 to win the race. Speranido was third in 26.00.
Noel Theroux won the men’s 1-meter diving event with 251.92 points, followed by Sam Baluzy with 210.37. Baluzy then won the 3-meter event with 220.5, edging Theroux and his 218.78.
On the women’s side, Tara Mulligan led a one-two-three finish in the 50-yard breaststroke, winning in 31.48. Cara Egan took second (32.35), and Courtney Kenyon (32.59) was third.
Aly Pacietti had two second-place finishes in her first collegiate race, swimming 5:08.45 in the women’s 500-yard freestyle to finish two-tenths of a second behind the Eagles’ Paris Wood. Madalyn Myers was third in 5:14.54. Pacietti also was second in the 50-yard butterfly (27.59).
Cara Egan was second in the 200-yard individual medley (2:13.13), and her younger sister, Jenna, took third in the 50-yard backstroke (28.82). Gabrielle Clarkson was a second-place finisher (25.11) in the 50-yard freestyle, three-tenths of a second behind American’s Shannon Exley.
Maggie Garrahan was second to Staszewski in the women’s 1-meter diving event with 209.47 points, and she took third in the 3-meter competition (185.84).
Andrew Mann and North Woods were second and third, respectively, in the men’s 500-yard freestyle with times of 4:48.52 and 4:50.95.
Alyssa Gialamas set an American Paralympics Record in the S5 category of the women’s 50-yard backstroke with a time of 46.05.
The Greyhounds and Eagles continue the meet on Saturday from American’s Washington, D.C., campus. The first session begins at 12 noon, and the final stanza starts at 5 p.m.
Swimming news courtesy of Loyola Swimming.