Juniors Grant Burgess (Fallston, Md./Fallston) and Michael Speer (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) lead St. Mary's College of Maryland men's swimming (4-6) to a thrilling 103-100 non-conference victory over McDaniel College (0-4) on Saturday afternoon. This afternoon's dual meet came down to the last event – the 400 freestyle relay.
Heading into the last event, McDaniel was ahead by four, 96-92. However, the foursome of sophomores Matt Walchuck (Middletown, Md./Middletown) and Andrew Braker (Olney, Md./Sherwood), senior captain Bobby Witkop (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase), and Speer posted a winning time of 3:23.53 to give the Seahawks 11 points and the win.
Speer finished the afternoon with three gold medals as he swam on the winning 400 medley relay as well with junior Zach Lilley (Myersville, Md./Middletown), first-year Kieran Broder (Olney, Md./Georgetown Prep), and Burgess. Speer followed that up with a win in the 100 freestyle in 48.73 while Braker posted a third-place finish in the same event in 50.71.
Burgess tallied first-place in the 200 freestyle in 1:50.01 while sophomore Andrew Braun (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) came in third in 1:55.78. Burgess added another second-place finish in the 200 butterfly in 2:02.52 while junior Kian Karimi (Kensington, Md./Walter Johnson) placed third in 2:07.61.
Walchuck collected a second-place finish in the 1,000 freestyle in 10:24.19 while first-year Max Madden (Cape St. Clair, Md./Broadneck) notched a third-place finish in 10:42.76. The Seahawks claimed three of the Top 4 places in the 50 freestyle as Braker came in second (22.85), Lilley put in a third-place finish (22.93), and senior captain Ryan Reis (Frederick, Md./Quince Orchard) took fourth (24.01).
In the 200 individual medley, Witkop led St. Mary's with a second-place finish in 2:06.79.
Lilley claimed a second-place finish in the 200 backstroke in 2:08.00 while Braun was third in 2:15.01. Walchuck took second as well in the 500 freestyle in 5:02.23 while Madden tallied a third-place finish in 5:20.00. Broder was the team's highest finisher in the 200 breaststroke with his third-place finish in 2:23.63.
St. Mary's will enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday before competing at the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by Randolph-Macon College on Friday-Saturday, December 5-6. The meet will be held at the Collegiate School Aquatic Center in Richmond, Va.
Three Seahawks notched two gold medals each as St. Mary's College of Maryland women's swimming won eight events in recording its fifth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon. The Seahawks (9-1) posted a 114-91 triumph over McDaniel College (0-5).
Senior captain Brooke Raab (Parkton, Md./Hereford) and junior Zoe McIlmail (Frederick, Md./Urbana) each collected two individual wins to pace St. Mary's in the win while junior Elaina Kohles (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) picked up two gold medals in the 1,000 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay.
Kohles captured the 1,000 free in 11:16.48 while junior Cara Machlin (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson) placed second in 11:19.24.
McIlmail claimed a win in the 200 freestyle in 2:01.28 followed by first-year Elizabeth Straathof (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) in second in 2:02.66. McIlmail tallied her second win of the meet in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall first in 5:33.06, while Kohles took second in 5:35.64.
St. Mary's staked a win in the 200 individual medley behind Raab's first-place finish in 2:15.35 before finishing first in the 200 breaststroke in 2:31.26. Her time is second-best in the Capital Athletic Conference.
Machlin got a gold medal in the 200 butterfly in 2:16.49 while first-year Rachel Sonnenberg (Derwood, Md./Magruder) came in third in 2:24.41. Senior Hannah Hafey (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) won the 200 backstroke in 2:13.47 while junior Karlie Straight (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur) finished third in 2:23.27.
The Seahawks won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:51.52 behind strong swims from Kohles, senior captain Kelsey Abernathy (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial), Sonnenberg, and Straathof. In the 400 medley relay, the foursome of Hafey, Raab, Machlin, and McIlmail picked up a second-place finish in 4:10.24.
Hafey led St. Mary's in the 50 freestyle with a second-place finish in 25.34 while Straathof finished second in the 100 freestyle in 57.33.
St. Mary's will enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday before competing at the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by Randolph-Macon College on Friday-Saturday, December 5-6. The meet will be held at the Collegiate School Aquatic Center in Richmond, Va.
