Salisbury Sweeps Swimming Tri-Meet Against Hood and Frostburg State

It was a victorious Saturday for the Salisbury University men's and women's swimming teams as the Sea Gulls completed a clean sweep in a tri-meet against Frostburg State University and Capital Athletic Conference foe Hood College at the Huntsinger Aquatic Center.

The SU women's team (6-3, 3-2 CAC) defeated the Hood Blazers by more than 80 points, 102-20, and beat the Frostburg State Bobcats by more than 50, 88-34. The Bobcats defeated the Blazers, 69-52. The Sea Gull men's team (5-4, 3-2 CAC) took down Frostburg, 101-21, and earned their third conference win with an 88-34 victory over Hood. The Bobcats defeated the Blazers, 75-47.

On the women's side, the Sea Gulls won 11 of the 14 events and swept first and second place in five different events. The maroon and gold posted eight second-place finishes and seven third-place performances. SU swept both relays in the meet. The Sea Gulls' 200-yard medley relay team of freshmen Robin Stone and Jenna Petrella, sophomore Katy Turner and junior Jessica Krauss won with a time of 1:59.94. SU also took second in the 200-yard medley relay as the team of freshmen Jessica Cahill, Amanda Garcia and Katie Stamm along with junior Laura Dignan clocked in at 2:10.24. SU also won the 200-yard freestyle relay as the team of seniors Raienne South and Laura Kordzikowski, Turner and Petrella celebrated with a time of 1:48.23.

Salisbury had 18 women's swimmers earn a first, second or third place finish as nine Sea Gulls placed in two events and four in three events. The four swimmers who placed in three events included Petrella, South, Stone and Turner.

Petrella, part of two first place relay teams, won the 100-yard free (59.48 seconds) followed by fellow freshman Katie Fitzenreiter (59.64). South won the 200-yard free (2:06.60) and 500-yard free (5:48.59) in addition to the 200-yard free relay victory. Sophomore Jenelle Irwin followed South in the 500-yard free with a time of 6:03.44 and was second in the 1,000-yard free (12:28.28). Stone won the 100-yard backstroke (1:05.85) and 200-yard back (2:21.04). Turner was the final Sea Gull to win three events as she added a first-place finish in the 200-yard IM (2:21.50).

Senior Allie Ziegler won the 1,000-yard free (12:19.98) while junior Maureen Gillespie won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:47.03) and was second in the 100-yard breast (1:16.43). Freshman Kelly Closs won the 50-yard free (26.92) and was closely followed by Fitzenreiter (27.38) in third. Closs placed third in 200-yard breast (2:48.12). Junior Angie Hammond won the 100-yard butterfly (1:06.65) and 200-yard fly (2:39.31). Freshman Katie Thompson was third in the 100-yard fly (1:08.14) and Dignan was third in the 200-yard fly (2:40.69). Junior Lindsay Southworth had two third-place finishes in the 200-yard back (2:25.87) and the 100-yard back (1:08.15). Garcia added a third-place finish in the 100-yard breast (1:16.44) while Cahill took third in the 200-yard IM (2:33.51).

On the men's side, the Sea Gulls won 11 of the 14 events and swept first and second place in three different events. SU posted five second-place finishes and an impressive 10 third-place performances. SU swept both relays in the meet. Salisbury's 200-yard medley relay team of seniors Brad Buckley, Ryan Forbes and Benjamin Overholt and sophomore John Lorman were first with a time of 1:47.91 and the Sea Gulls were also third as the team of senior Ian Branigan, sophomores Andrew Peterson and Chris Smith and freshman Steve Eyler finished seconds behind (1:51.86). SU was also victorious in the 200-yard free relay (1:36.00) as the team consisted of Branigan, junior Mike Ferrari, Lorman and freshman Jason Preston. A second team of Sea Gulls were third as they clocked in at 1:45.57. Members of that relay include junior Sean Snee, sophomores Nick McClaeb, Peterson and freshman Tim DiFatta.

SU had every swimmer on its men's roster, 19 total, earn a first, second or third place finish in the meet. Thirteen different Sea Gulls placed in two events and three in three events. The three swimmers who placed in three events included Buckley, Ferrari and Overholt.

Buckley won the 100-yard breast (1:07.67) and was third in the 50-yard free (24.20). Ferrari won the 200-yard IM (2:12.28) and the 200-yard breast (2:37.41). Overholt just missed first in his two individual events. He was second in the 200-yard free (1:55.33) as Hood's Chris Nemecek won with a time of 1:55.31. Overholt took second in the 100-yard free (52.32) as he was out touched by Hood's Matt Haynes (52.21). Salisbury's Smith was third in the 100-yard free (53.86).

Sophomore Drew Robichaud won the 100-yard back (59.88) and 200-yard back (2:09.05). Salisbury was first in the 1,000-yard free as sophomore Eddie Rubenstein won with a time of 11:24.42 while sophomore Mike Radloff won the 500-yard free (5:28.01). Fellow sophomore Kyle Miller was second in the 200-yard breast (2:40.09) and third in the 100-yard back (1:07.18). Preston won the 100-yard fly (57.62) followed by Eyler (1:04.05) in third. DiFatta won the 200-yard fly (2:16.98), Forbes was second in the 500-yard free (5:35.72) and Snee was third in the 1,000-yard free (11:33.37). Junior Kevin Lonergan was third in two events, the 200-yard back (2:28.54) and 200-yard IM (2:27.61). Sophomore Tim Metcalf took home two third-place finishes in the 200-yard free (1:59.88) and 200-yard fly (2:30.17).

Salisbury is off next week before the Sea Gulls prepare for back-to-back home meets at the Maggs Center. The Sea Gulls will welcome CAC rival St. Mary's (Md.) College on Saturday, January 24, at 1 p.m. followed by a visit by former conference member Catholic University of America on Saturday, January 31, at 1 p.m.