USMMA Men
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men’s swimming & diving team hosted its first dual meet of the 2015-16 on Friday night against Division II foe Queens College. The Mariners came out on top of the Knights, 129-71.
USMMA won all but two events on the night and five Mariners earned first place in two separate events.
Senior diver Gerrit Porter (Houston, Texas) was the only team member to earn both victories in individual events, as he bested his competition in both one-meter diving events and his combined score of 473.93 was well past the NCAA qualifying mark for the 11-dive competition.
The 200 medley relay team of freshman Christopher Kahl (Solomons, Md.) and juniors Stone Hewitt (Destin, Fla.), Joshua Jepsen (San Diego, Calif.) and Karl Sasse (Frederick, Md.) led off the meet with a victory with a time of 1:40.06. Sasse would later go on to be a part of the 200 free relay squad that won in 1:30.89.
Individually, Kahl won the 200 free in 1:49.64, Hewitt touched first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.02 and Jepsen was victorious in the 100 butterfly in 54.30.
Also picking up victories on the night were junior John Terselic (Tijera, N.M.) in the 1,000 free (10:38.76), freshman Logan Propst (Valencia, Calif.) in the 100 back (58.30), sophomore Nick Lambson (Knoxville, Tenn.) in the 500 free (5:09.09) and junior Robert Zagaja (Centerport, N.Y.) in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.30).
Freshman Matheus Macedo (Elk Grove, Calif.), sophomore Andrew Jackson (Chesapeake, Va.) and senior William Kelsik (New Castle, Ind.) were teamed up with Sasse on the 200 free relay squad the ended the night with a victory.
The Mariners will return to action after the holiday break, when they host Division I Villanova University on Thursday night, Jan. 7, 2016. The dual meet is slated to get under way at 6 p.m. at the O’Hara Hall Pool.
USMMA Women
On Friday night, the USMMA women’s swimming & diving team hosted nearby Division II opponent Queens College for its first dual meet of the season. The Mariners defeated the Knights by the final score of 130-76.
Merchant Marine was victorious in all but one event on the night, the final event. Six Mariners recorded two wins apiece, as junior Blythe Fentress (Shady Shores, Texas) led the way by winning both one-meter diving competitions and her combined score of 411.76 was an NCAA qualifying score.
Junior Catherine Don (Quincy, Ill.) won both distance events – the 1,000 free (12:15.36) and the 500 free (5:59.22), while classmate Jolyn Green (Riverside, Calif.) touched first in both the 200 individual medley (2:20.94) and the 100 breast (1:13.09).
A pair of freshmen rounded out the Mariners’ multi-winners – as Ella Sherrill (Ketchikan, Alaska) won the 200 free (2:05.24) and the 100 free (56.75) and Tyler Wickesberg (Albuquerque, N.M.) touched first in the 50 free (25.80) and the 100 butterfly (1:03.15).
Individually, sophomore Liz Grove (Winchester, Va.) won the 100 back in 1:04.55 and she was also a part of the 200 medley relay team that led off the night with a victory in 2:05.10. Freshman Pamela Grod (Northbrook, Ill.), senior Elizabeth Rose (Hamilton, Ohio) and sophomore Rebecca Slezak (Middle River, Md.) were also on the 200 MR team with Grove.
The Mariners will take a break from competition until the New Year, when they host Hunter College in a women’s-only dual meet on Tuesday night, Jan. 5, 2016. First race is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the O’Hara Hall Pool.
