In its first dual meet at Swasey Pool this season, the University of New Hampshire women's swimming & diving team captured 14 events Saturday afternoon in a 168-124 rout over Central Connecticut State University.
The Wildcats post their first win of the season and are now 1-2 in dual meets while CCSU slips to 1-1. New Hampshire also captured seven one-two finishes on the day.
Eight different Wildcats notched individual wins, highlighted by a trio of top finishes from freshman Jessica Harper (Easthampton, Mass.). Harper logged the top time in the 100-yard backstroke (57.68 seconds), 200-yard IM (2:08.75) and a career-best effort in the 500-yard freestyle (4:55.32). Senior Katie Mann (Prince George, British Columbia) and freshman Liza Baykova (Moscow, Russia) each registered a pair of individual wins. Mann paced the field in the 200-yard butterfly (2:03.70) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:04.06. Baykova put forth personal bests in the 100-(52:08) and 200-yard freestyle (1:52.70).
UNH kicked off the meet with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. The quartet of senior Oneida Cooper (Johannesburg, South Africa), Baykova, Harper and Mann combined for a time of 1:47.65.
Freshman Bridget Miller (Longmeadow, Mass.) continued the scoring for the 'Cats in the 1,000-yard freestyle. She powered through the water to clock in at 10:40.32.
Baykova and sophomore Sarah Broderick (Haverhill, Mass.) earned the first one-two finish for UNH in the 200-yard freestyle. Broderick recorded a second place finish to earn a time of 1:53.88.
Following a Harper win in the 100-yard backstroke, junior Bettina Caspersen (Lyngby, Denmark) and sophomore Sarah Olver (Milwaukee, Wis.) placed second (1:05.87) and third (1:08.79) respectively in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Mann and Cooper occupied the top two spots in the 200-yard butterfly. Cooper ended the event in second with a time of 2:09.25.
Broderick joined the individual winners in the 50-yard freestyle. The sophomore bolted across the water to clock in at 24.00 to lead the field.
Transitioning to the boards, senior Nicole Zahka (Medway, Mass.) highlighted the 'Cats in the one-meter dive, logging a score of 218.62.
Jumping back into the swimming events, Baykova and Broderick went one-two in the 100-yard freestyle. Broderick finished just .31 seconds behind her teammate to place second in the event.
Competing in the 200-yard backstroke, Mann and sophomore Emily Giambastini (Walnut Creek, Calif.) occupied the top two spots. Giambastini clocked in at 2:10.60 to register the runner-up finish.
Caspersen and Mann continued the one-two finishes for the Wildcats in the 200-yard breaststroke. Caspersen parted the water to engineer a first-place time 2:20.56. Mann followed right behind her, registering a time of 2:20.74.
Harper and Miller made it four one-two finishes in a row, taking the 500-yard freestyle. Behind Harper's career-effort, Miller came in with a time of 5:12.91.
Cooper notched her best finish of the day in the 100-yard butterfly. The senior led the field, touching the wall at 58.21.
Zahka returned to the boards to compete in the three-meter dive. The senior placed first, earning a score of 250.40 in the event.
UNH competed in exhibition for the last two events on the day. Harper and Cooper took the top two times in the 200-yard IM. Cooper checked-in with a time of 2:11.94 to rank second in the field.
New Hampshire capped off the event with a first place finish in the 200-yard freestyle. The team of senior Megan Suffel (Cornwall, Ontario), Baykova, Broderick and Caspersen constructed a time of 1:38.52.
The Wildcats remain at Swasey Pool for their next meet, hosting the University of Rhode Island on Saturday, Nov. 8 (2 p.m.).
