Submitted by Dominick Delello, Saint Michael’s College.
The Saint Michael’s College men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams both went 1-1 last week in their return to action for the first time since Nov. 17. Against Bentley on Thursday the men lost, 203-90, and the women fell, 223-50. Both teams bounced back with wins on Saturday against the State University of New York at Potsdam with the men taking home a 123.5-113.5 victory and the women claiming a 119-102 triumph. The men’s team is now 2-3 on the season, while the women are 2-4.
On Thursday, junior Connor Hopkins (Windham, N.H./Windham) tallied three wins for the men, emerging victorious in the 50-yard backstroke (25.40), the 50-yard freestyle (22.17), and anchoring a come-from-behind win in the 200 free relay (1:32.78) alongside sophomore Payton Stewart (Keene, N.H./Keene) and first-years Sean McGurn (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) and William Sullivan (Arlington, Va./Bishop O’Connell). Hopkins also finished second in the 100 free. McGurn grabbed a second-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke, while Stewart nabbed second in the 50-yard butterfly, beating out sophomore Dan Fortier (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) by one spot. First-year Nate Imbergamo (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) was second in the 1,000 free and third in the 50 back and 200 back. He also led off for the third-place 200-yard medley relay foursome, joining Stewart and seniors Seamus Butler (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) and Pat Thornton (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence). The quartet was only 0.63 seconds off the runner-up position. Thornton grabbed second in the 200 fly and third during the 500 free, while Sullivan claimed third in the 50 free and Butler finished fourth in the 50 breast. Senior Tim Kinville (Colchester, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) placed third in both of the one-meter diving events.
On the women’s side, senior Tess Grimaldi (Higganum, Conn./Haddam-Killingworth) finished second in the 50 free, while anchoring the runner-up 200 free and 200 medley relays. She also added a third-place finish in the 50 fly. Seniors Elizabeth Doherty (Dedham, Mass./Dedham), Meg Flanagan (Middletown, R.I./The Prout School/Boston College), and Patty Kohn (Weston, Conn./Greenwich) rounded out the 200 free relay foursome, while Kohn, junior Sarah White (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet Regional) and sophomore Meg Geschwind (Rochester, Minn./Mayo) completed the 200 medley relay team. Geschwind added a second-place finish in the 50 breast and was third in the 200 breast, while Kohn took third during the 500 free and 1,000 free. First-year Maggie King (Clinton, Conn./Mercy) took the runner-up spot in the second one-meter diving event. Doherty finished third in the 100 free, while Flanagan took third in the 200 back and White gathered third in the 50 back.
Against SUNY Potsdam, Sullivan garnered three wins – including his first career individual victory – to lead the Purple Knights on the men’s side. Along with a win in the 50 free (23.57) and as part of the 200 medley relay foursome, Sullivan overcame a 0.11-second deficit going into the third leg of the 200 free relay with Saint Michael’s leading the meet 112.5-107.5 and needing a victory to win the meet. Sullivan handed Stewart a 0.61-second lead which Stewart turned into a 0.88-second victory for a time of 1:32.97. Butler and junior Aidan Mulderrig (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) swam the first two legs. Hopkins, McGurn, and Thornton joined Sullivan to win the 200 medley relay (1:42.39), while Hopkins individually took first in the 100 free (49:57). Stewart finished second in the 50 free and 100 free, while McGurn finished second in the 100 breast and third in the 100 free. Imbergamo won the 100 back (59:12) and 1,000 free (10:58.76) while taking third in the 200-yard individual medley. Mulderrig triumphed in the 200 IM (2:09.74) and was third during the 100 fly, trailing Thornton, who finished second in the 500 free, by one spot. Kinville captured the second of two one-meter diving events (162.50) while placing third in the other. First-year Myron Prograis (Etters, Pa./Cedar Cliff) tied for third in the 100 back.
For the women, Grimaldi, Kohn, White, and junior Lauren Giampietro (Watertown, Conn./Watertown) each tallied three wins. Kohn took home solo wins in the 500 free (5:32.26) and 1,000 free (11:26.60) to push her career individual wins to 50 and added her 85th total victory in the 200 free relay (1:47.21) finale alongside Doherty, Geschwind, and White. The Purple Knights clinched the meet victory with Giampietro taking home the 100 breast (1:18.85) and Geschwind finishing third. Geschwind won the 200 free (2:09.17) and finished as the runner-up in the 500 free, while junior Megan Reid (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) grabbed third in the 100 free and 1,000 free. Flanagan, Giampietro, Grimaldi, and White claimed the 200 medley relay (1:59.21), while individually Giampietro nabbed the 200 IM (2:22.35), Grimaldi won the 50 free (26.67) and White took home the 100 fly (1:03.51). Doherty finished second in the 100 free and just 0.05 seconds outside the top three in the 50 free. King garnered second in the second one-meter diving event, while sophomore Leah Benoit (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) was second in the 200 IM and 0.20 seconds outside the top three in the 100 back. Flanagan finished third in the 100 back. This was the eighth straight victory against SUNY Potsdam for the Purple Knight women.
