swimming and diving News - August, 2009 Archive

Feb. 28: Junior Chris Woolston broke another team record in the last day of competition for the St. Lawrence University men's swimming and diving team, who concluded their final meet of the season Saturday evening with several best times at the 2009 Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championships, held at Nottingham High School in Syracuse, NY.

Feb. 21: The St. Lawrence University women's swimming and diving team competed in their final day of the Upstate New York State Collegiate Swimming Association (UNYSCSA) Championships on Saturday and saw another team record fall while several Saints broke their own personal records as the women's team concluded its 2008-09 campaign.

The Scarlet and Brown finished ninth out of the 17 teams at the meet. Ithaca College captured the title, while Stevens Institute and Union College came in second and third, respectively.

The 400-yard freestyle relay team of junior captain Abbey Lynch (Norwood, NY/St. Lawrence Central), senior captain Alida Gerritsen (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute), sophomore Meg Derby (Cropseyville, NY/Berlin), and senior captain Ashley Bogosian (Massena, NY/The Peddie School) broke the team record in the event in prelims early Saturday as they finished the race with a time of 3:39.50, seven tenths under the previous mark set in 1987. In finals, the Saints earned eighth place overall with a time of 3:40.93.

Sophomore Hannah Grimes (Hamden, CT/Hamden) had the best individual finish of the meet, placing fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke. Her time in prelims, 2:25.73, was a season best and an NCAA ‘B' cut. In the same event, Gerritsen concluded the individual portion of her meet with a sixth place finish and a career best time of 2:27.71.

Feb. 7: St. Lawrence University seniors Ashley Bogosian, Alida Gerritsen and Jason Johnson had a memorable final dual meet for the Saint swim team as the Saint women beat Alfred 148-75 and the men gave the Saxons a run in a 140-103 loss at the Augsbury Natatorium on Saturday.

Bogosian turned in her best time of the season in the 50 freestyle, winning in 25.26 and added a second in the 100 free to go with a 25.12 split as the anchor leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay team while Gerritsen led a top three sweep in the 200 individual medley with a win in 2:18.58, finished second in the 200 breaststroke and swam the third leg on the200 free relay team. Diver Johnson came within nine points of his own SLU record in winning the one meter competition with a 270.10 score and also won on the three meter board with a 278.30 score.

While it was Senior Day in the pool, underclassmen also turned in solid performances for both the Saint teams.

 

Jan. 24: As the dual meet season winds down, the St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams took on non-conference opponent Hamilton College Saturday afternoon in Augsbury Natatorium. The visiting Continentals won the men's meet with a score of 154-89, while the Hamilton women's team also took home a win, finishing with a score of 142-97 over the Saints.

In addition to several personal and season best times, the meet was highlighted by two records falling off the record board. Sophomore Hannah Grimes (Hamden, CT/Hamden) found herself another spot on the St. board as she broke the Augsbury Natatorium pool record in the 400-yard IM, touching with a time of 4:51.16, about four-tenths under the previous mark, set in 1998 (4:51.53). In the diving well, senior Jason Johnson (Newark, NY/Newark) broke the University record for six dives on the three-meter Saturday by scoring 295.00 points, breaking the 18-year record of 275.30, previously held by Stephen Turri '92.

In addition to her 400 IM, Grimes also won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:11.00), while junior Chris Woolston (Madison, CT/Fairfield Prep) was also a double-event victor. Other individual event winners included senior captain Ashley Bogosian (Massena, NY/The Peddie School), junior captain Abbey Lynch (Norwood, NY/St. Lawrence Central), rookie Katie Spakowski (Rochester, NY/Greece-Arcadia), and sophomore Jared Pellerin (Plattsburgh, NY/Seton Catholic Central).

Jan. 17: Five members of the St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams won individual races Saturday, but Hartwick College's depth was too much for the Saints to overcome, as the women's team suffered their first loss of 2009 to the Hawks, 138-82, while the men fell, 144-93, in the Augsbury Natatorium in Canton, NY.

The women fall to an even 3-3 overall record while the men drop to 2-4 in the season.

The Scarlet and Brown had three individual winners in the swimming events, which was highlighted by junior Chris Woolston (Madison, CT/Fairfield Prep), who recorded two victories for the men's squad. Senior captain Ashley Bogosian (Massena, NY/The Peddie School) and sophomore Hannah Grimes (Hamden, CT/Hamden) each won an event to help in the Saints' efforts.

In the diving well, senior Jason Johnson (Newark, NY/Newark) won both the one-meter (269.15) and the three-meter (269.25), while first year teammate Graham Steen (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury) placed second and third in those events, respectively. Sophomore Sarah Silk (Norwell, MA/Thayer Academy) won the three-meter diving event with a score of 159.50.

Jan. 16: The St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams dove right back into competition Friday afternoon against non-conference opponent Potsdam State, where the women's team defeated the Bears 128.5-101.5 but the men fell in a close meet, 125-117.

The women's squad improves to 3-2 in dual meet competition while the men's team stands at a 2-3 mark. On Potsdam's side of the pool, the men's team holds a 5-1 overall record, while the women fall to 2-4 in the season.

The victory on the women's side was rooted in several top three finishes and winning close races in the middle and longer distances as well as the specialty strokes. Rookie Katie Spakowski (Rochester, NY/Greece-Arcadia) recorded two individual wins, as did senior captain Alida Gerritsen (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute). Other individual winners included sophomore Hannah Grimes (Hamden, CT/Hamden), junior captain Abbey Lynch (Norwood, NY/St. Lawrence Central), and senior captain Ashley Bogosian (Massena, NY/The Peddie School).

Spakowski took both her 1,000 and 500-yard freestyle races out well ahead of the fields and was able to maintain her lead throughout the events. In the 1,000, the rookie, who was the only Saint in the pool, finished with a time of 11:37.32, a season best and nearly 15 seconds ahead of Potsdam's top finisher. In the 500, Spakowski touched the wall first with a time of 5:44.79.

Dec. 6: Saturday morning brought a lot of firsts for senior diver Jason Johnson: his first conference title in the one-meter with a score of 429.65, earning his first ever automatic NCAA cut, and Liberty League Co-Diver of the Year honors. His accomplishments highlighted a great meet for the St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams, who finished 4th and 5th, respectively, following the day and a half, three session meet at RPI this weekend.

For the men, their fourth place finish was the team's best under head coach Bob Clemmer, while the women have not placed as high as fifth since the 2005-2006 season.

 

Union women's team won the meet, while the men's meet was decided in the third session, with host Rensselaer emerging victorious, upseting Union in the final events.

In addition to Johnson's (Newark, NY/Newark) win on Saturday, he also placed third on the three-meter Friday night, behind RPI's Matthew Culen, who was also named Co-Diver of the Year after achieving an ‘A' cut in the event, and behind teammate Graham Steen (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury), who had an outstanding meet. The rookie placed second on both boards with scores of 398.55 on the three and 420.00 on the one, just five points off the automatic NCAA cut.

In the lanes, the Saints enjoyed much success with several top ten finishes and an even larger number scoring points.

Nov. 8: The St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed Saturday against non-conference opponent RIT in Rochester, NY, where both teams fell to the Tigers in the 16-event meet. The men lost by a score of 173-117, while the women fell by a similar score of 168-118.

One of the top point scorers for the Saints included junior Chris Woolston, who tallied three first place finishes in the 100 (56.40) and 200-yard backstroke (2:01.49), as well as the 200-yard IM (2:06.40). He led a 1-2 punch for the Saints in the IM as teammate sophomore Rob Sibley placed second (2:14.00).

For the women, senior co-captain Ashley Bogosian had two individual wins in the sprint freestyle races, clocking in at 25.56 in the 50-yard freestyle, her best time this season, and 56.82 in the 100. Teammate Hannah Grimes also collected top points in both women's breaststroke races, as she touched with a time of 1:13.11 in the 100 and 2:38.93 in the 200.

Sophomore distance swimmer Jared Pellerin had a good day in the pool as well, collecting a first place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:39.01) and a second in the 500-yard free (5:13.09). Teammate and co-captain junior Stephen Dally had similar results, as he touched the wall first in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.13) and second in the 200 (2:19.13).

ov. 1: The St. Lawrence University men's swimming and diving team earned their second win of the season while the women's squad was edged in the final races by Nazareth College Saturday afternoon in the Augsbury Natatorium. The men's team decisively won the 16 event meet 165-95, while the women fell to the Golden Flyers, 157-142. Both Saints' teams are now 2-1 in the season.

Leading the way for the Saints was sophomore Jared Pellerin (Plattsburgh, NY/Seton Catholic Central), who won three individual races. Juniors Chris Woolston (Madison, CT/Fairfield Prep), and co-captain Stephen Dally (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius) each won two events and were critical in relay victories, helping the men win 11 of the 16 races. For the women, junior co-captain Abbey Lynch (Norwood, NY/St. Lawrence Central) had three individual victories, while senior co-captain Ashley Bogosian (Massena, NY/The Peddie School) and sophomore Hannah Grimes (Hamden, CT/Hamden) had two apiece as the women won eight events.

Pellerin's three wins came in the 1000-yard freestyle, the 200-yard fly, and the 500-yard freestyle. In his longest distance of the day, the sophomore enjoyed a lead he gained off the very first turn and extended it throughout the race, finishing more than two lengths ahead of the next finisher with a time of 10:44.81. Senior co-captain Russ Hendrick placed third in the event (11:22.44) for the Scarlet and Brown.

Oct. 25: The St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams both defeated Skidmore College Saturday afternoon in the Augsbury Natatorium, as the women used a victory in the final race of the meet to edge the Thoroughbreds 117-114, while the men handily won, defeating their opponents by a score of 152-73.

The men were led by sophomore Jared Pellerin, who recorded three individual victories, while junior Chris Woolston Madison, CT/Fairfield Prep), sophomore Rob Sibley (Hudson, NH/Alvirne) and senior diver Jason Johnson (Newark, NJ/Newark) each had two individual wins. Rookie Russ Newton (East Lyme, CT/East Lyme) also recorded a win.

On the women's side, first year diver Sara Silk (Norwell, MA/Thayer Academy) was the only Saint to record two individual wins, while first year Molly Lunn (Norwell, MA/Norwell High/Notre Dame Academy) and junior co-captain Abbey Lynch (Norwood, NY/St. Lawrence Central) each had one.

The men won 11 of their 13 events and turned in the fastest times in the other two races. Pellerin touched the wall first in the 1000-yard free after passing Skidmore's Stephen Lento at the 450-yard mark for his first win of the meet with a time of 10:56.25 and used the last 50 of the 200-yard fly to pull out another St. Lawrence win as he touched the wall with a time of 2:13.75.