University of Connecticut senior swimmer Chinyere Pigot (Miami, Fla.) and sophomore Christine Pedersen (Vinterbro, Norway) each notched two individual victories to lift the UConn women’s swimming and diving team to a 165-135 win over Fordham on the road Saturday afternoon. The Huskies improved to 2-0 on the season with the victory.
Pigot won the 50-yard freestyle in 24.05 before capturing first place in the 100-yard freestyle (52.50), while Pedersen swept both backstroke events, winning the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 57.75 and the 200-yard back with a time of 2:04.74.
Pedersen and Pigot also saw another first place finish in the 200-yard medley relay, as they teamed up with junior Laura Ruttan (Stittsville, Ontario) and sophomore Tara O’Prey (Ridley Park, Pa.) to win the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.22).
Other Huskies to tally individual wins on Saturday were senior captain Katy Munzenmaier (Lake George, N.Y.), junior Laura Hyland (Southport, England) and sophomore Sophie Nothnagle (Victor, N.Y.). Munzenmaier touched the wall in 1:53.46 to earn first place honors in the 200-yard freestyle, while Hyland won her first individual race this season when she beat all swimmers in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:24.93.) Nothnagle continued her impressive start to the season in the 500-yard freestyle, winning the event after completing it in 5:04.08.
On the diving side, junior Taryn Urbanus (Qunicy, Mass.) and sophomore Alexandra Butera (Havertown, Pa.) both won individual events. Urbanus recorded 263.40 points to secure a first place finish in the 1-meter, while Butera posted a score of 274.35 in her win in the 3-meter.
UConn returns to action Saturday for the team’s Homecoming Alumni Meet at the Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. The meet is slated for a 12 p.m. start.
Huskies Improve to 2-0 With 182.5-106.5 Win Over Fordham
Three UConn swimmers won multiple races in the victory
BRONX, N.Y. – Three University of Connecticut men’s swimmers earned multiple first place finishes on Saturday, as the UConn men’s swimming and diving team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 182.5-106.5 win over Fordham on the road Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore James Donlevy (Lake George, N.Y.), junior Jeff Magin (Brookfield, Conn.) and senior captain Lachezar Shumkov (Sofia, Bulgaria) all won two races in the victory over the Rams. Donlevy topped all swimmers in the 50-yard freestyle (21.45) and the 100-yard freestyle (46.94), while Magin saw wins in both the 200-yard backstroke (1:53.60) and the 100-yard backstroke (51.70.). Shumkov swept the breaststroke events, winning the 100-yard breaststroke in 57.74 before capturing first place in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:07.24).
In the 200-yard medley relay, Shumkov and Magin teamed up with junior Greg Baliko (Fanwood, N.J.) and senior Felix Samuels (London, England) to win the race after swimming it in 1:34.07. Other UConn swimmers to place first in individual events on Saturday were Baliko and sophomore Chris Girg (Burbach, Germany). Baliko touched the wall first in the 100-yard butterfly (51.13), and Girg won the 500-yard freestyle, completing it in 4:36.56.
Junior diver John Brice (Bala Cynwood, Pa.) had a sensational day on the boards, winning both the 1 and 3-meter events. The UConn standout recorded 316.57 points in the 1-meter event, and he earned his second individual event of the day in the 3-meter when he posted a score of 335.53. Sophomore Spencer Beaulieu (Portland, Conn.) saw two second place finishes as well, as he racked up 249 points in the 1-meter and scored a 233.48 in the 3-meter.
UConn is back in action next weekend for the team’s Homecoming Alumni Meet. The meet, which will take place at the Wolff-Zackin Natatorium, is slated for a 12 p.m. start.
