Men Win, Women Lose First Against Nazareth

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.

The sophomore's second win of the day came in the 200-yard fly, where he used the last 150 yards to power past the field to touch the wall at 2:10.54. Finishing close behind was teammate junior Matt Kirkpatrick (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield), who clocked in at 2:18.84 to seal a 1-2 finish for St. Lawrence.

In the 500-yard free, Pellerin once again outdistanced himself from the field as he touched the wall nearly 25 yards ahead of his competitors, touching at 5:18.67. Hendrick took third place points (5:43.26).

In his individual races, Woolston used his power off the start to get out ahead in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing first with a time of 56.45, while teammate and first-year Andrew Hayes (Avon, NY/Avon) clocked in third (1:04.46). The 200-yard backstroke saw the junior put even more distance in between his opponents as he clocked in at 2:04.06, more than nine seconds ahead of Nazareth's top finisher. Hayes came in third with a time of 2:16.18.

Mike McPhillips (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) Dally continued to be a dominant force in the breaststroke events, as he took first place points in both the 100 (1:03.80) and 200 breaststroke (2:21.86), while also turning in the fastest time in the 200-yard IM (2:15.09). Sophomore Rob Sibley (Hudson, NH/Alvirne) collected a second place finish in the 100 (1:06.83) behind Dally, while also earning an individual win in the 100-yard freestyle (52.46) and second place points in the 50-yard freestyle (23.34), behind Nazareth's Rob Wortel.

Woolston, Dally, Sibley, and junior Brandon Barone (Westport, CT/Staples) all contributed to a first place finish in the 200-yard medley relay, as Sibley was able to hold off Nazareth's Rob Wortel as he closed the gap in the final yards.

Other event winners for the Saints included sophomore Mike McPhillips (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls), who won the 200 yard freestyle (1:57.36) and led a 1-2-3 St. Lawrence finish, which included rookie Russ Newton (East Lyme, CT/East Lyme), who placed second (1:58.19) and Barone, who touched third (2:01.18). Diver Graham Steen (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury) pulled out a victory on the 1-meter board, earning a score of 238.40, while teammate Jason Johnson (Newark, NJ/Newark) took second place points (218.30). Steen also had the highest score in the 3-meter event (249.60).

Kirkpatrick earned second place points in the 100-yard fly (59.79), while McPhillips touched third in the 50-yard free (24.15), and Barone finished third in the 100 (53.59).

Lynch used the last half of her swims to come out on top in each of her three individual races, as she almost even split her 200-yard freestyle to come from third at the 100-yard mark to win the event with a time of 2:02.54. Rookie Molly Lunn (Norwell, MA/Norwell High/Notre Dame Academy), earned third place points in the event after finishing with a time of 2:03.47.

In the 100-yard free, the North Country native paced herself and used the second half of her race to overcome her competitors and touch the wall first with a time of 56.87, while teammate Katy Kozminski (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) finished third (57.14). In the 100-yard fly, Lynch held off Golden Flyer Jaclyn Conklin as she touched at 1:03.10, a little more than two-tenths ahead of Conklin. Teammate Meg Derby (Cropseyville, NY/Berlin Jr./Sr. High) came in third with a time of 1:04.47.

Bogosian found herself touching the wall first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.56), while Derby came in close behind to finish second (1:06.62) and rookie Brynn Hagen (East Lyme, CT/East Lyme) rounded out the top three (1:07.04). The sprinter also used her quick reaction time off the blocks to win the 50-yard free (26.06), just ahead of teammate Kozminski (26.19) to seal a crucial 1-2 finish for St. Lawrence.

Grimes was spectacular in the breaststroke races, placing first in both the 100 (1:11.10) and the 200 (2:32.99). The sophomore teamed up with Derby, Lynch and Bogosian for an unstoppable 200-yard medley relay, as the Saints finished first with a time of 1:55.42, their best time this season. In the same race, Hagen, sophomore Alden Bush (Hingham, MA/Hingham), Lunn, and Kozminski placed third (2:00.76).

In the 400-yard medley relay, the Saints dominated and took first place points, as Kozminski, rookie Emily Peck (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua), senior Meg Vaughn (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) and Bogosian defeated their competition by almost six seconds as they touched at 3:51.57.

Other impressive finishes included Lunn's two second place finishes in the 200-yard fly (2:23.80) and 200-yard IM (2:20.59), Derby's second place in the 200-yard back (2:23.71) as well as Bush's third place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.41) and junior Kate Waters' third place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle (11:48.73).

St. Lawrence will travel to Rochester, NY, on Saturday, November 8th to race RIT. The swim meet is set to begin at 1:00pm.