CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –Two Boston University divers, a University of New Hampshire swimmer and a UMBC swimmer earned America East Performer of the Week honors for swimming and diving. Boston University sophomore Melinda Matyas (Budapest, Hungary/Eotvos Jozsef Gimnazium) received Female Diver of the Week while fellow Terrier senior Tanner Knorr (San Diego, Calif./Valhalla) received the honor on the men’s side. New Hampshire freshman Lauren McCandless (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) received the women’s Swimmer of the Week honor and UMBC senior Eric Jones (Gambrills, Md./Arundel) received the men’s Swimmer of the Week honor.
Matyas won both events with scores of 243.90 in the one-meter dive and 250.43 in the three-meter dive at the Terriers’ opening meet at Massachusetts. The sophomore led a Terrier dive team that swept the podium in both diving events at the meet. As a freshman, Matyas won both the one- and three-meter diving events at the America East Championship meet last year.
Knorr helped the Terrier men squeeze past Massachusetts, earning second on the one-meter dive with a score of 278.70 and third on the three-meter dive, posting a score of 230.93.
McCandless led the New Hampshire women to a pair of victories over Siena and Wagner last weekend. The freshman broke a 15-year-old pool record in the 1000-yard freestyle against Wagner, breaking the record by almost two seconds with a time of 10:18.08. In addition to that win, McCandless also took first place in the 100-yard butterfly (59.59), 200-yard butterfly (2:06.54), and the 500-yard freestyle (5:03.69) on the weekend. She was also part of the first-place 200-yard medley relay team against Siena.
Jones won two individual races and was part of two relay wins in a dual meet against Rider on Saturday. The senior won the 100-yard freestyle in 46.94 and the 200-yard freestyle in 1:43.60. Jones also anchored the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard free relay, helping the Retrievers to times of 1:34.64 and 3:11.42, respectively, in those races. This is the second Swimmer of the Week honor for Jones this season.
Binghamton University’s swimming and diving teams did not compete last weekend. The Bearcats will return to the pool next month when they host Massachusetts on Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6.
Boston University opened its 2010-11 campaign in men’s and women’s swimming at Massachusetts. Both Terrier teams won their dual meets against the Minutemen, the men by a score of 154-146 and the women by a 177-115 margin. The men’s meet came down to the very last race as Boston U. took the team victory with a win in the 400-yard free relay. Senior Kyle Ernst (Seekonk, Mass./Seekonk) won two individual races, taking the 100 breast in 58.01 and going on to win the 200 breast in 2:11.10. Ernst was also the second leg of the winning 200-yard medley relay team. The freshman class had a standout meet, led by Nik Astashinsky (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), who won two events (100 back, 200 back) and placed second in a third race (200 IM). In the diving events, senior Tanner Knorr placed second in the one-meter (278.70) and third in the three-meter (230.93) dive. The women’s team won 12 events en route to its 177-115 victory at UMass. On an individual level for the women, Maria McIntyre (Herndon, Va./Chantilly) won two races, the 100-yard back and the 100-yard free. In the diving events, Boston U. dominated, sweeping first, second and third on both the one- and three-meter boards, with sophomore Melinda Matyas claiming the top spot in both events. Boston U. will return to the water on Saturday, October 23 when it hosts Bryant and Maine at 1:30 p.m.
The University of Maine women’s swimming and diving team opened its season on October 16 with a loss in a dual meet at Central Connecticut State, 167.5-129.5. Maine was led by a dive team that finished one-two-three in both the one-meter and three-meter dives. Freshman Kara Capossela (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) won both events, posting scores of 241.12 in the one-meter and 235.7 in the three-meter. Freshman Ashley Higgins (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) took second in the one-meter (169.12) and third in the three-meter (154.72) while junior Juliet Cobb (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) took third in the one-meter (151.15) and second in the three-meter (173.62). The Maine swimmers were highlighted by sophomore Jennifer Trodden (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial), who won the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:16.12 and placed second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:30.37. The men’s team did not compete last weekend. Both the men’s and women’s teams will be in action on October 23 in a meet featuring Boston University and Bryant.
The UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving hosted Rider in a pair of dual meets on Saturday afternoon. The men’s team defeated Rider 162.5-126.5. The women’s team won its meet, 174-100. In the men’s meet, senior Brad Reitz (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) won the 200 fly and the 200 IM. Senior Eric Jones won the 100 and 200 free, while sophomore transfer Pierre De Waal (Pretoria, South Africa/Tuks Sport/Cleveland State) won the 500 and 1,000 free. Other multiple winners for the men included junior John Mendenhall (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East), who won the 100 and 200 breast, and freshman Johan Rohtla (Tallinn, Estonia/Tallinn Secondary Science), who won the 100 and 200 back. The Retriever women were led by a record-setting relay team. The 200-yard medley relay team of junior Kathryn Moorby (Cape May, N.J./Lower Cape May Regional), freshman Talor Tadena (Orangevale, Calif./Bella Vista), senior Sarah Ryan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Oceanside) and sophomore Abbey McKenney (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) broke the UMBC Natatorium record in a time of 1:46.70. Individually, senior Amanda Shinholser (Burtonsville, Md./Springbrook) won her first two diving events of her dual-meet career, winning the one-meter with a score of 212.77 and the three-meter with a 225.90, while fellow senior Gaby Johnston (Windsor, Conn./Loomis Chaffee School) swam to her first dual-meet win, taking the 200 breast. Sophomore Jennifer Kotonias ((Burtonsville, Md./Academy of Holy Cross) won the 200 fly and the 200 IM. Next up for the Retrievers is a dual meet against Navy in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, October 22 at 4 p.m.
The University of New Hampshire women’s swimming and diving team opened up its season with a bang, notching a pair of victories over Siena College on October 16 and Wagner College on October 17. New Hampshire defeated Siena 176.6-73.5 and took out Wagner 120-80, finishing in first place in every event on the weekend. The Wildcats were led by Amy Perrault (Kirkland Lake, Ontario/Ecole Catholique), who picked up right where she left off last season, finishing first in five events while also leading New Hampshire to a pair of first-place finishes in the 200-yard medley relays. Perrault earned first place in the 100-yard backstroke (58.34), 200-yard backstroke (2:04.73), 100-yard butterfly (57.61), 100-yard freestyle (52.95) and the 200-yard individual medley (2:09.19). Lauren McCandless broke a 15-year-old pool record in the 1000-yard freestyle against Wagner, smashing the record by almost two seconds with a time of 10:18.08, claiming first place in the event. In addition to taking part in the first-place 200-yard medley relay team against Siena, McCandless also earned a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (59.59), 200-yard butterfly (2:06.54) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:03.69) on the weekend. Kiersten Wollenzien (Holland Landing, Ontario/Dr. John M. Denison) took part in New Hampshire’s 200-yard medley relay team against Wagner, and also collected first-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle (25.43), 500-yard freestyle (5:07.44) and the 1000-yard freestyle (10:32.86). Shelli Reed (Hollister, Calif./ San Benito) was just as successful, claiming first place in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.92), 200-yard freestyle (1:52.69), 50-yard freestyle (24.27) and 100-yard freestyle (53.01). The Wildcats are off until November 6 for a dual meet at Central Connecticut State.
Stony Brook University did not have a meet last weekend. The Seawolves will be back in action on Friday, October 23 when they head to Brooklyn, N.Y., for a dual meet at St. Francis (N.Y.).
The University of Vermont women dropped their only meet of the week at Northeastern, 165-124. For a second straight week, sophomore Kailey Gardner (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) swept the 500- (5:07.62) and 1,000-yard (10:27.16) freestyle events, as she stays unbeaten in both. Senior Kate Weaver (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) earned Vermont’s only other win by taking the 200 backstroke in a time of 2:08.05. Vermont went two-three-four in the 200 butterfly led by Nicole Peruso (Branford, Conn./Branford), Avery Pittman (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe) and Chelsea Krisanda (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder). Freshman Emily Alexander (Stittsville, Ontario/Sacred Heart) also placed second in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.14. The Catamounts return to action next Saturday when they travel to face Siena starting at 2 p.m.