swimming and diving

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.