Swimming & Diving Teams Claim First Championship and Returning Champs Titles
Sweeping victory this weekend brings men’s swimming & diving their first-ever championship, while the women’s team defends theirs for the win
KINGSTON, R.I. – ܽƵ swept the (NEISDA) championship this weekend. For the second year in a row for the women’s team and for the first time ever for the men’s team, both of the swimming and diving teams took home the NEISDA crown on Sunday night, defeating 20 other teams in a four-day tournament hosted by the University of Rhode Island.
After four days of hard competition, Roger Williams racked up an impressive first-place score of 1452, while the captured first place with a total score of 823.
What started as a 20-person recruiting class (12 men, eight women) for ܽƵ last July turned into a championship-winning team for the swimming and diving program, according to swimming and diving Head Coach Matt Emmert.
“Winning a championship is always special, but this one will always have a special place in my heart, as these seniors were the first recruiting class we brought in to ܽƵ,” Emmert said. “They believed in the vision we had for the program, worked relentlessly these past four years – both in and out of the water – and reaped the rewards by ending their careers as NEISDA Champs.”
But it wasn’t only seniors shining throughout the season and at the championship. Emmert noted that collectively, both teams have some impressive stats to boast from the four-day tournament:
- 38 top-three medals
- 15 New England champions
- 13 new varsity records
- 1 NEISDA meet record
- And the Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year Award
“This is more than just a team – this is a family,” Emmert said. “And I couldn’t be prouder of each member of our program ending their season as New England Champions!”
Here’s a look at the 38 medalists:
Team | Event | Place | Time | Names |
W | 800 Free Relay | 2 | 7:57.57Y | Andrea Almandoz, Gabrielle Pielka, Brittany Cuevas |
M | 800 Free Relay | 1 | 6:58.89Y | Hunter Olson, John Babuka, Michael Sannicandro, Gabriel Pasqualucci |
W | 200 Free Relay | 2 | 1:39.64Y | Mackenzie Webber, Margaret Pegno, Brittany Cuevas, Hannah Nolte |
M | 200 Free Relay | 1 | 1:25.38Y | David Kitchen, Michael Sannicandro, Paul Marchese, Gabriel Pasqualucci |
M | 500 Free | 2 | 4:38.54Y | John Babuka |
W | 100 Fly | 1 | 58.00Y | Andrea Almandoz |
W | 50 Breast | 3 | 30.44Y | Kenzie Sweeney |
W | 200 Back | 2 | 2:07.55Y | Shannon Earley |
W | 200 Back | 3 | 2:07.98Y | Gabrielle Pielka |
M | 200 Back | 2 | 1:54.74Y | Hunter Olson |
W | 50 Free | 1 | 24.39Y | Mackenzie Webber |
W | 200 IM | 2 | 2:10.70Y | Andrea Almandoz |
W | 200 IM | 3 | 2:13.89Y | Hannah Nolte |
M | 200 IM | 2 | 1:54.07Y | David Kitchen |
M | 1 Meter 11 Dives | 2 | 343.74 | Josh Seabrook |
W | 400 Medley Relay | 2 | 3:59.68Y | Hannah Nolte, Kenzie Sweeney, Andrea Almandoz, Mackenzie Webber |
M | 400 Medley Relay | 1 | 3:30.03Y | Hunter Olson, John Babuka, David Kitchen, |
W | 200 Medley Relay | 1 | 1:47.00Y | Hannah Nolte, Kenzie Sweeney, Andrea Almandoz, Mackenzie Webber |
M | 200 Medley Relay | 1 | 1:33.91Y | Hunter Olson, David Kitchen, Gabriel Pasqualucci, Michael Sannicandro |
W | 400 IM | 1 | 4:36.89Y | Shannon Earley |
W | 50 Fly | 1 | 25.89Y | Mackenzie Webber |
M | 50 Fly | 2 | 23.56Y | Gabriel Pasqualucci |
W | 100 Back | 1 | 59.75Y | Hannah Nolte |
W | 100 Breast | 2 | 1:06.55Y | Kenzie Sweeney |
M | 100 Breast | 1 | 57.62Y | David Kitchen |
M | 1000 Free | 1 | 9:49.12Y | John Babuka |
M | 3 Meter 11 Dives | 2 | 368.4 | Josh Seabrook |
M | 100 Free | 2 | 46.76Y | Gabriel Pasqualucci |
W | 50 Back | 1 | 27.60Y | Hannah Nolte |
M | 50 Back | 1 | 24.19Y | Hunter Olson |
W | 200 Breast | 3 | 2:31.91Y | Kenzie Sweeney |
M | 200 Breast | 2 | 2:08.09Y | David Kitchen |
W | 200 Fly | 3 | 2:13.42Y | Shannon Earley |
W | 100 IM | 1 | 59.38Y | Andrea Almandoz |
W | 400 Free Relay | 2 | 3:34.16Y | Hannah Nolte, Shantelle Richards, Andrea Almandoz, Mackenzie Webber |
M | 400 Free Relay | 3 | 3:09.93Y | David Kitchen, Paul Marchese, Hunter Olson, |