Navy Sweeps Towson In First Meet In Over Three Months

Courtesy: Navy Sports

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– The Navy swimming and diving teams combined to win 28 events during a sweep by the Mids of Towson, Saturday at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis.  The Navy men recorded a 188-100 victory and the Navy women won a 196-81 decision.

Each Navy team has posted a 1-1 record this year.  Today was the first competition for the Mids since Oct. 31 and Towson’s first meet of the entire season.

 “We are so thankful for our athletic department, Towson’s and the Towson team to be able to hold this meet,” said Navy women’s swimming head coach John Morrison.  “Our team has been supporting one another all year and training incredibly well.  Fortunately, that effort was shown today.  We were very pleased with the racing of the entire team.”

“Speaking for everyone associated with our program,” said Navy men’s swimming head coach Bill Roberts, “it was great to be competing again.  We would like to thank everyone who had a hand in putting on and running the meet.  A lot of effort went into it, and we are grateful for all of those who assisted with it.”

“It was great to be back on the boards and competing again,” said Navy diving coach Rich MacDonald.  “Overall, I was pleased with our performances.  You could see a little rust on some, but it was a good day on the whole.”

The Navy women’s team won all but one event during the meet.  The Mids placed first, second and third in each of their 11 individual swimming event victories.

Martina Thomas (Jr., Fayetteville, Ark.) posted victories in the 200 free (1:49.43) and 500 free (4:55.67) events.  Hannah Montau (Jr., Germantown, Md.) won both diving boards for the Mids, winning the two events by a combined 93 points.  Emily Brockman (Jr., Bend, Ore.) won the 200 breast (2:19.00) outright and shared the victory in the 100 breast (1:04.92) with teammate Reagan Johnson (So., Charlotte, N.C.).

Additional individual event winners on the day for Navy were Kelly Huffer (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.), 200 individual medley (2:04.43); Cameron Hoerner (Fr., Hebron, Md.), 1000 free (10:05.17); Brooke West (Jr., River Forest, Ill.), 100 back (55.47); Hannah Pratt (Fr., Fishers, Ind.), 50 free (23.78); Sarah Sorensen (Jr., Gainesville, Fla.), 100 free (51.35); Elly Deas (So., Johns Creek, Ga.), 200 back (2:00.73); and Sydney Harrington (Jr., Fairfax, Va.), 100 fly (54.68).

Four members of the Navy men’s team won a pair of events against the Tigers.  Luke Johnson (Sr., Charlotte, N.C.) won the 100 free (9:16.86) and the 500 free (4:30.52) races.  Dominick Wallace (Sr., La Jolla, Calif.) won the 100 back (49.29) and 200 back (1:48.33) events.  Ethan Tack (Jr., Dix Hills, N.Y.) earned victories in the 100 fly (48.63) and 200 fly (1:48.24).  Jake Hedrick (Sr., Hummelstown, Pa.) won the one-meter (327.83) and three-meter (340.05) boards.

Completing the list of event winners were Ryan Waters (Sr., Basking Ridge, N.J.), 200 free (1:39.22); James Lee (So., La Canada, Calif.), 200 breast (2:02.35); and Hunter Locher (Fr., Richmond, Va.) 200 IM (1:51.74).

Navy will be back in Lejeune Hall Feb. 13 when the Mids play host to George Washington.

Courtesy: Towson Athletics

Men’s Recap

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After nearly a year removed from full team competition, the Towson University men’s swimming and diving team returned to action Saturday afternoon. 

The Tigers (0-1) fell 188-100 against the United States Naval Academy, which received votes in the most recent CSCAA Coaches’ Poll. 

Brain Benzing nudged a school record faster, grabbing one individual win along with a third-place. Ryan Baldino picked up two event wins in the sprints while divers Ajani Dorner and Will Canny split both boards.

How it Happened

• In the 100-yard breaststroke, Benzing won, touching in 54.81 seconds, eclipsing Jeremy Liu’s mark of 55.33 set in 2014. Benzing won the event by nearly a second as Navy’s Jackson Schultz finished in 55.55.
• Benzing finished third in a tight 200-yard breaststroke race, finishing in 2 minutes, 3.30 seconds. Navy went one-two in the event with James Lee winning (2:03.35) and Chris Bondarowicz (2:03.22) just edging Benzing.
• Baldino won the freestyle sprints, taking the 50-yard event in 20.51 seconds, one-tenth of second faster than Navy’s Jake Evert. Baldino again edged Evert in the 100-yard freestyle with a winning time of 45.23 against Evert’s 45.40.
• In the day’s first men’s event, the Tigers’ A relay (Evan Bota, Benzing, Nick McClure, Michael Fazio) for the 200-yard medley relay finished second in a time of 1:31.11, just behind Navy’s squad in 1:30.56.
• In the backstroke events, Reed Sells was Towson’s top swimmer with a 52.17 in the 100-yard event and 1:52.81 in the 200-yard, both good for a third-place finish.
• Patrick Flint was close behind Sells in the backstrokes, taking fourth in the 100-yard (52.80) and sixth in the 200-yard (1:54.20).
• On the boards, Dorner took first in the 1-meter event with a score of 292.35, with Canny finishing second with a 250.20. The pair reversed fortunes in the 3-meter, with Canny winning with 283.28 and Dorner in second with a 234.60.

Up Next for Towson

• Towson continues its local tour next weekend with a meet down Charles Street at Loyola University Maryland.
• The event is set to begin at 1 p.m. at the Greyhounds’ Mangione Pool at the Fitness & Aquatics Center.

Women’s Recap

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After months and months away from competition, the Towson University women’s swimming and diving team formally returned to the pool Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers (0-1) fell 196-81 against the United States Naval Academy, which received votes in the most recent CSCAA Coaches’ Poll, at Lejeune Hall.

Towson’s Christina Coleman picked up a win in the diving events, as Samantha Casolo won a butterfly event. Towson went 1-2-3 in the 200-yard individual medley as well.

How it Happened

• Casolo won the 200-yard butterfly, touching in 1 minute, 34.00 seconds. She won by 22 seconds over Navy’s Sydney Harrington (1:56.17).
• Maddie Frick won the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:14.22, nipping teammates Suzannah Mills (2:15.96) and Kasey Gamache (2:16.18).
• Towson’s A relay for the 400-yard freestyle relay finished with a 3:36.41, with Megan Clark leading off, followed by Parker Schulz, Victoria Dichak and Maddie Mince.
• Coleman took second in the 1-meter diving event, scoring a 231.98, followed up by a third-place finish in the 3-meter board with a 250.06.

Up Next for Towson

• The Tigers remain local, heading down Charles Street next Saturday for a clash against Loyola.
• Towson and the Greyhounds will meet at Mangione Pool at the Fitness & Aquatics Center for a 1p.m. event.