Fairfield Sweeps Holy Cross

The Fairfield University men’s and women’s swimming and diving team opened the 2009-2010 season with a sweep of Holy Cross at the RecPlex. The men’s team, which broke three program records, posted the 166-120 victory while the women’s team won 167-133.

Freshman Paul Bimmler (Reading, Mass.) won three individual events, setting program records in two of them, and was also a member of the winning 400 medley relay that shattered a program record. Individually, Bimmler captured the 200 free in a time of 2:01.83. In the 50 free, Bimmler posted a winning time of 24.69 seconds to break the record of 24.70 seconds set by two Stags last season. In the 100 free, Bimmler notched a time of 55.06 seconds to break the record of 55.33 seconds set by Frank Vitulli in 2004.

In the men’s relays, Fairfield took both events. The 400 medley of Boris Romanovsky (Marblehead, Mass.), Brian Friedlander (River Edge, N.J.), Andrew Robinson (Manalapan, N.J.), and Bimmler won in a record-setting time of 4:08.57. They shattered the previous standard of 4:15.00 set in 2005. The 200 freestyle relay of Greg Bellizzi (Edison, N.J.), Andrew Hiss (Freehold, N.J.), Tommy Peters (Basking Ridge, N.J.), and Romanovsky clocked a time of 1:43.50.

In his collegiate debut, Hiss notched a pair of victories winning the 100 back in 1:03.05 and the 200 back in 2:21.67. Peters had a pair of victories, capturing the 800 free in a time of 9:20.68 and the 400 free in 4:28.22. Friedlander also won a pair of events capturing the 100 breast in 1:08.88 and the 200 breast in 2:31.89.

Sophomore Michelle Yoshida (Kaneohe, Hawaii) was a triple-winner on the women’s side. She captured the 200 free in a time of 2:11.00, less than four-tenths of a second off her program record. She won the 50 free in 27.70 seconds and the 200 back in a time of 2:27.12.

Sophomore Lauren Kennedy (Belmont, Mass.) captured a pair of individual events, winning the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:47.96 and the 200 IM in a time of 2:32.61. She was also second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 2:32.61. Junior Katie Merz (Absecon, N.J.) won two events as well, taking the 800 free in 9:43.71 and the 400 free in 4:43.75.

On the men’s side, Robinson won the 200 fly in 2:20.79 and was the runner-up in the 200 free with a time of 2:06.03 and in the 100 free in 56.15 seconds. Romanovsky captured the 100 back in a time of 1:03.84. Junior Jonathan O’Connor (Norwalk, Conn.) was second in the 200 fly with a time of 2:25.65 and third in the 800 free with a time of 9:24.94. Sophomore Stefan Toi (Newtown, Conn.) was the runner-up in the 200 back in a time of 2:21.71 and third in the 100 back in a time of 1:06.76.
       
On the women’s side, freshman Cacky Keating (Chatham, N.J.) had a strong debut for the Stags. She captured the 100 fly in a time of 1:08.44, just four-tenths of a second off of Brittany Hunter’s record. She was the runner-up in the 200 fly with a time of 2:34.11. Freshman Caitlin Moran (West Henrietta, N.Y.) also had a solid debut, capturing the 100 free in 1:02.21. She was also second in the 200 free with a time of 2:15.35 and third in the 50 free with a time of 28.52 seconds.

Sophomore Aly Criscuolo (Pittsford, N.Y.) was second in the 100 fly with a time of 1:10.64 and third in the 200 fly with a time of 2:34.21. Freshman Amanda Gilsey (Eatontown, N.J.) had a trio of third place finishes in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.32), the 200 breaststroke (2:54.44), and in the 200 IM (2:35.75). Sophomore Norah Gentile (East Hartford, Conn.) was the runner-up in the 100 back with a time of 1:12 and took third in the 400 free with a time of 4:50.71.

The 400 medley relay of Gentile, Gilsey, Criscuolo and Moran was victorious with a time of 4:36.59.

On the boards, senior Taylor Stecko (South Windsor, Conn.) was the runner-up on the men’s 3-meter with a mark of 249.60 and finished with a score of 237.38 on the 1-meter.  Junior Brett Carisio (Cheshire, Conn.) was third on the 3-meter with a score of 175.58 and had a score of 196.80 on the 1-meter. Freshman Ryan Krebs (East Williston, N.Y.) had a mark of 137.03 on the 3-meter and a mark of 158.18 on the 1-meter. On the women’s side, senior Hillary Urbancic (Concord, Mass.) posted a score of 148.28 on the 1-meter and had a mark of 150.15 on the 3-meter. Sophomore Paige Jackson (Duxbury, Mass.) had a score of 125.73 on the 1-meter and a score of 119.85 on the 3-meter. Freshman Kim Pettit (Westwood, Mass.) recorded a mark of 95.03 on the 1-meter and a mark of 94.95 on the 3-meter.

Fairfield returns to action next weekend. The Stags will travel to Fordham for a double dual with the Rams and Saint Peter’s on October 23. On October 24, the swimmers will head to the Husky Invitational at UConn while the divers will host Stony Brook at 10am at the RecPlex.