Courtesy: VMI Athletics
LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams opened the 2020-21 season with impressive victories Friday over visiting West Virginia Tech from Clark King Pool. The men scored a 121-56 win while the women’s squad posted a 124-38 victory. The Keydets had the top time in all but one event.
Sophomore Jack Sheehan had the men’s meet top time in three events, swimming a 1:57.97 in the 200 IM, the 100 breaststroke (1:01.54) and was part of the 200 medley relay team with Zach Emerson, Nathan Hicks and Andrew Mills (1:40.72). Emerson captured the 50 free in 21.84 and 100 backstroke in 54.76. Bridger Thurston won both diving events, scoring 210.15 points in the 1M and 196.27 in the 3M.
Collin Marks won the 1650 freestyle in 17:06.54 and Connor Doyle took the 200 free in 1:47.17. Thomas Muldowney was first in the 100 butterfly (54.38) and Chino Vera came in first in the 100 free in 48.50. The 200 medley relay team of Anno Kong, Marks, Doyle and Vera won the race in 1:30.05.
Freshman Sarah Liebenow won the women’s 1000-yard freestyle in 12:11.51, and also was first in the 500 freestyle in 5:58.28. Junior Sophia Svoboda was also a double winner, capturing the 50 free in 25.16 and 100 free in 55.49. Anne Bowles was victorious in the 200 IM in 2:27.47 and the 100 breast in 1:13.70.
Jillian Maher won the 200 free in 2:07.73, while Caragh Osborne was first in the 100 fly (1:12.69). Isabella DeCosta swam a 1:06.05 in the 100 backstroke to win and London Yerasimides earned the victory in the 1M diving competition (168.07). Nina Rodriguez bested Yerasimides by a narrow margin (150.22-150.07) to win the 3M dive. Jessica Cox, Kate Taylor, Liebenow and Svoboda won the 200 free relay in 1:50.09 and DeCosta, Bowles, Maher and Cox won the 200 medley relay in 2:01.61.
The same two teams will meet next Saturday, Nov. 7 at the YMCA of Southern West Virginia in Beckley at 1 p.m. with a virtual meet vs. Centre College and Bethel University in TN.