Military vs. Marist vs. Fordham
- September 27, 2024
- West Level, NY
- 25 Yards (SCY)
- Scores:
- Ladies: Military – 551, Fordham – 330.5, Marist – 248.5
- Males: #24 Military – 565, Fordham – 293, Marist – 284
- Full Outcomes
These three New York-based colleges opened their 2024-25 season with a tri-meet hosted by Military. This meet, also referred to as the West Level Sprints, featured a mixture of conventional and untraditional occasions. Along with the 50s of stroke, that are unusual to see at an NCAA meet, a number of the extra eclectic occasions had been the relays, as swimmers took half within the 500, 600, and 1000-yard freestyle relays and 400 medley relay the place everybody swims a 100 IM.
Staff web sites disagree on whether or not this meet was scored, however both manner Military’s depth was on full show in opposition to the 2 different mid-major groups.
Ladies’s Meet
Military began the meet sturdy, successful the primary three occasions. Catriona Gilmore, Hadley King, Avery Lord, and Meghan Cole took the win within the first occasion, the 400 medley relay, with Cole splitting 55.67 to rally previous Fordham to win in 3:51.21. Then, Military went 1-2 within the 1000 freestyle relay, a two-person race the place every athlete swims a 500 free. In addition they went 1-2 within the 50 backstroke, with freshman Jenna Hart beating junior Layne Peterson, 26.01 to 26.62.
Fordham’s Emma Shaughnessy interrupted the Black Knight’s successful streak. She received the 50 breaststroke in 28.93 and was the one swimmer within the area to go sub-29 as Marist’s April Avila edged out Cole for 2nd, 29.62 to 29.68. Avila was the standout on the day for Marist as she additionally took 2nd within the 100 breaststroke (1:04.69). Her particular person swims had been Marist’s highest finishes on the day.
The 50 breast was Shaughnessy’s solely particular person occasion of the day; she cut up a 58.07 100 IM on Fordham’s 400 medley relay to start out the meet. Ainhoa Martin led off for the Rams in 56.92, giving Shaughnessy a lead she held by way of her leg of the race.
Final season, Martin made historical past for the Rams; she grew to become their first swimmer to win three occasions on the A-10 Championships and the primary Ram to qualify for NCAAs since 2012. Along with main off the 400 medley relay, Martin swam a lifetime finest 55.72 to put 2nd within the 100 fly earlier than successful the 200 IM—an occasion she focuses on—by 1.83 seconds forward of Military’s Catriona Gilmore (2:01.86).
The Black Knights returned to successful within the 100 butterfly, the place freshman Angie McKane posted a 54.36 to climb up Military’s all-time rankings to sixth. McKane’s lifetime finest stands at 53.41 from November 2023. She collected one other win within the 50 fly in 24.61, main a top-four sweep for Military.
Military received each occasion however the 50 breast and 200 IM, which Fordham claimed. Different particular person occasion winners included Cole (50 free, 23.11), Peterson (100 again, 56.46), and Gilmore (100 breast, 1:03.20).
Males’s Meet
The Military ladies shone by successful all however two occasions and the boys fared even higher, successful each occasion contested on Friday.
Freshman Johnny Crush made an impression throughout his collegiate debut for the Black Knights, breaking this system file within the 100 backstroke. Crush swam 47.07, bettering the Academy’s earlier file of 47.22, swum by senior Alex Edwards in 2022. It’s not precisely a shock to see Crush break this file—his lifetime bests within the 100 free, 200 free, 100 again, and 200 again are all sooner than the Academy file.
Crush additionally received the 50 backstroke in 21.95 forward of Fordham’s Christian Taylor (22.66) and led off Military’s successful 500 freestyle relay that additionally included Thomas Hadji, Owen Harlow, and Ben Vorthmann (3:45.22).
Sophomore Riley Groves additionally moved up Military’s all-time rankings. He swam a lifetime finest 47.89 to win the 100 fly, bettering his time from the 2024 Patriot League Championships and changing into the seventh quickest swimmer in program historical past. Groves and Vorthmann tied for the win within the males’s 50 fly, clocking 22.27 as freshman Daniel Verdolaga completed simply behind them in 22.30.
Verdolaga, a flexible pickup for Military with lifetime bests worthy of convention championship ‘A’ finals, completed 2nd within the 100 butterfly—additionally behind Groves—in 48.20. He cut up a 48.94 100 IM to safe Military’s win within the 400 medley relay, becoming a member of Edwards (49.47) in going sub-50 seconds.
2024 NCAA qualifier Kohen Rankin kicked off his 2024-25 marketing campaign by teaming up with Edwards and Verdolaga on the successful 400 medley relay, swimming a 50.07 100 IM cut up. He then swept the breaststrokes, swimming 24.85 within the 50 breast and 53.98 within the 100 breast, successful the latter by 2.23 seconds.
There have been solely three occasions the place the Black Knights didn’t take the highest two spots. Fordham swimmers disrupted Military’s depth within the 400 medley relay, the 50 backstroke, and 200 IM. Along with Taylor’s 2nd place within the 50 backstroke, Noah Althoff, Daniel Ribeiro, Java Marvarov, and Daniel Langlois mixed for a 3:25.62 within the 400 medley relay. Then, within the 200 IM, the ultimate particular person occasion of the meet, Ribeiro swam 1:51.02 for silver, ending in between Military teammates Edwards (1:49.19) and Kalvin Hahn (1:51.07), holding off Hahn by five-hundredths.
Marist, the defending MAAC champions, recorded three Third-place finishes to focus on their afternoon. Junior Caden Hardy collected two of these bronzes, swimming 25.92 within the 50 breast and 56.71 within the 100 breast. The Purple Foxes’ squad of Oscar Bjering, James Conable, and Joe Money additionally completed Third within the 600 free relay, clocking 5:10.68.
Up Subsequent
The Black Knights are again in motion subsequent weekend, internet hosting a tri-meet with Vermont and Central Connecticut State on Oct. 4. On Oct. 11, Fordham faces Manhattan whereas Marist duels in-conference foes Canisius.
