Bryant Marinez
The swimming and diving team was gearing up to make a splash in the inaugural American University Relays on Sept. 22. The Mountaineers were anxious to return to the pool and display their skills in the heart of the nation’s capital after a difficult campaign last year.
On both the men’s and women’s teams, the Mountaineers placed fifth in the relays last year. The men’s team scored 228 points and came in fifth place, while the women’s team earned 234 points and tied for fourth place with Howard.
The 3x100 freestyle relay—in which Christina Lazari (C’26), Emily Myers (C’27) and Aracelli Skiles (C’27) finished second with a finals time of 3:26.80—was the women’s team’s best finish. The 400-yard medley wherein Gabrielle Joffrion (C’25), Skiles, Hanna Aggen (C’27) and Julianna Veilleux (C’24) placed fourth, with a time of 4:28.79, was a noteworthy performance.
The men’s 3x100 yard breaststroke team, consisting of Jacob Wallace (C’24), Griffin Distler (C’24) and Aidan Grady (C’25), had the best finish, coming in third with a time of 2:57.04. The Mountaineers’ performance in the 200 medleys, in which Austin Toland (C’26), Lucas Hancock (C’27), Jason Fitch (C’24), and Nicholas Santorelli (C’25) competed was exceptional. Their final time of 1:27.32 was just under four seconds slower than the school record.
The St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers defeated Mount’s men by a score of 116-101 on Jan. 21 of last year in their home pool, while the women won 116-104. This was the Mount’s final regular-season dual-meet.
Following this tournament, the Mount attended its inaugural Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship, when the men’s team finished seventh and the women’s team eighth. Aidan Grady and Christina Lazari both broke old school marks during the competition. Grady finished the 200 breaststrokes in 2:00.67, breaking the previous mark of 2:01.30 held by Jacob Wallace, while Lazari finished the 200 breaststroke in 2:20.52.
The Mount’s swimming and diving team is prepared to make a statement this season; their determination strengthened with memories of last year. The Mountaineers are ready to battle against tough opponents from American, Loyola, Lafayette and Howard to show their development and toughness.
The next competition took place on Oct. 6 against American University in the home swimming pool. The men’s team defeated American 130-88, while the women fell to American 136-87. Between both men’s and women’s teams, they claimed 12 events with first place finishes.
Follow and cheer on the Mount’s swimming and diving team as they start their 2023 season with excellence in every stroke and splash.
