Greyhounds and Falcons come out on top at WPI.
WORCESTER, Mass. - The Northeast 10 Conference Swimming & Diving Championship concluded on Sunday evening at the WPI Recreation Center, with the Assumption women and Bentley men standing out among the field to win league titles - proving the Coaches' Poll to be correct from earlier in the week. It is the fourth title in the last six seasons for the Greyhounds, while the Falcons earn their second championship in the past three years.
For full results, click the link above. For team standings and individual awards, please see below.
Bentley Men Capture NE10 Conference Swimming & Diving Championship
WALTHAM, Mass. – Following a third straight undefeated dual record, the Bentley University Falcons captured the Northeast-10 Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, which concluded Sunday night at WPI.
Following a weekend that included nine gold medals and 16 school record-breaking performances, coach Mary Kay Samko's 2nd team finished with 993 points. Runner-up Southern Connecticut, with 890.5 points, was more than 100 points back and Pace, with 511, was a distant third in the seven-team meet.
Junior Dan Sausto (Slingerlands, N.Y./Doane Stuart School) was selected as the Northeast-10 Swimmer of the Meet earning the gold in the championship's two longest races, the 1000 yard freestyle on Thursday and the 1650 free on Sunday. His 15:57.48 in the 1650 was an NCAA "B" cut and broke the school record he set while capturing the gold two years ago, 16:06.64.
That was the first of three gold medals for the Falcons on Sunday. Freshman Mark Zoda (Nashua, N.H./ Bishop Guertin HS) captured the 100 freestyle a day after swimming to victory in the 200 free. Zoda twice broke the school record in the 100, posting a time of 46.08 seconds in the preliminaries and 45.83 in the finals.
The meet concluded with Bentley easily capturing gold in the 400 free relay with a member of each combining for a school record time of 3:04.44, 1.52 seconds faster than the former standard set in 2017. Sophomore Paul Homorodean (Milford, Conn./Joseph A. Foran HS) was followed into the pool by junior Alper Alkaya (Milan, Italy), Zoda and senior Ryan McGeary (Paramus, N.J./Bergen Catholic HS).
Earning bronze medals for the Falcons on the meet's final day were junior Jarod Yoshihara (Irvine, Calif./ University HS) in the 200 backstroke (1:53.27), Alkaya in the 100 free (46.64) and senior Frank Elenio (Ridgefield, N.J./Bergen County Academies) in the 200 butterfly (1:51.24).
The Falcons' only fourth was achieved by freshman Alec Lanza (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead HS) with a time of 2:06.94 in the 200 breaststroke. In the same event, junior Matt Bandy (Manhattan, Kans./Manhattan HS) was sixth (2:08.83), freshman Burke Sansiviero (Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS) was seventh (2:09.57) and McGeary was eighth (2:09.69).
Sophomore Tanner Fales (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) took eighth in the 1650 free and freshman Andrew D'Annolfo (Chestnut Hill/Newton South) had the same finish in the 200 butterfly (2:00.10).
Bentley's top point scorers in the meet were Sausto with 57, Elenio with 56 and Zoda with 55.
Assumption Swimming & Diving Wins 2019 NE10 Championships
THE BASICS:
Event: NE10 Championships Day Four
Location: Worcester, Mass. (WPI)
The Lead: Assumption won the NE10 Championships with 900.5 total points including 13 top-eight finishes on the final day of competition to win the Hounds' fourth championship in the last six years.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Shannon Quirk (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield Memorial) earned her fourth consecutive championship in the 1650 free with a time of 17:25.27. Quirk is the first swimmer in conference history to win the same event four consecutive years. Colleen Kurtz (Somerset, N.J./Rutgers Preparatory) finished in third in 17:31.37.
For the 200 yard backstroke, two Hounds placed top five with Anne Guadalupi (Augusta, Maine/Cony) in third (2:04.85) and Grace Gustinis (Monroe, Conn./Masuk)tied for fifth with Southern Connecticut's Lauren Spencer in a time of 2:05.88.
Morgan Nicholls (East London, South Africa/Clarendon) earned third in the final individual swim of her career for the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:23.19 followed by Isabelle Roberts (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) in fifth (2:25.59). Nicholls time set a new school record, which was previously held at 2:23.59.
In the 100 free, three Hounds placed in the top six with Abbey Holmes (Laurel, Md./Archbishop Spalding) earning first in a time of 52.34. Emma Magna (Niantic, Conn./East Lyme) swam to fifth (53.54) while Sydney Rangulong (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) placed sixth (53.55).
Allison Fitzgerald (Quincy, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) led the Hounds in the 200 butterfly in third (2:05.12), which set a new school record. Natalia Kaczor (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee) placed seventh (2:11.11) followed by Ali Petrozza (North Andover, Mass./Austin Preparatory School) in eighth (2:12.04).
To end the last night of competition, the 400 free relay team composed of Holmes, Rangulong, Nicholls and Magna earned second place in a time of 3:31.83, which set a new school record. For the B relay, a team composed of Guadalupi, Kaczor, Gustinis and Payton Horton (Port Elizabeth, South Africa/St. Dominic's) won the heat in a time of 3:33.05.
BEHIND THE RESULTS:
Nicholls broke the school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:23.19, which placed her third in the event while Fitzgerald set a new school record for the 200 butterfly in 2:05.12 in her third place finish. The 400 free relay team also set a new school record in the final event of the evening.
Holmes earned most valuable swimmer for her outstanding performance over all four days of competition.
Assumption won the NE10 Championships with a total of 900.5 points, which marks their first championship since winning three straight in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 and following two second place finishes in 2017 and 2018. Bentley earned second with 775 points followed by Southern Connecticut in third (758.5).
Men’s Swimmer of Meet - Daniel Sausto, Bentley
Women’s Swimmer of Meet - Abbey Holmes, Assumption
Men's Diver of Meet - Tahj Mitchell-Westberry, SCSU
Women's Diver of Meet - Alexis Heiney, Pace
2019 NE10 Men's Team Standings
1. Bentley - 993.0
2. Southern Connecticut - 890.5
3. Pace - 511.0
4. Le Moyne - 482.0
5. Saint Rose - 400.5
6. Saint Michael's - 279.0
7. Adelphi - 207.0
2019 NE10 Women's Team Standings
1. Assumption - 900.5
2. Bentley - 775.0
3. Southern Connecticut - 758.5
4. Pace - 543.5
5. Le Moyne - 319.0
6. Saint Rose - 309.5
7. Merrimack - 264.0
8. Adelphi - 244.0
9. Saint Michael's - 193.0
-Releases provided by Assumption and Bentley athletic communications staffs-
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.