Women’s Swimming Tops UMass, Men Fall in Amherst

Fordham's men's and women's swimming teams competed this past weekend against the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The women won by a tally of 171-129, setting four pool records in the process. The men's side lost by a score of 170-123.

Junior Brienne Ryan set two of those pool records, as she won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.83 and the 100 yard freestyle in 51.31. For her part in these events and two winning relays, Ryan was named the Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Performer of the Week. Four event wins and two pool records were more than enough to earn Ryan her seventh career weekly accolade.

Senior Courtney Collyer also broke an individual pool record of her own, as she won the 200-yard butterfly in 2:03.83. Collyer and Ryan, along with junior Kellie Lyver and senior Kelly Buntser, also took down the 200-yard freestyle relay pool record in a time of 1:36.68. Collyer would also go on to win the 500-yard freestyle in 5:03.23. Bunster had an additional win in the form of a 58.84 100-yard butterfly swim. Joining them to round off the women's individual event were sophomore Kara Field, who won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:27.95, freshman Ariana Peschke, who won the 100-yard backstroke in 59.99 and freshman Spencer Chappell who won the 200-yard backstroke in 2:08.01. The Rams' other relay also won, as Ryan, Collyer, Bunster and junior Alana Biagioli took first in the 200-yard medley relay clocking in at 1:47.96.

On the men's side of the meet, junior Devon Morris swept the freestyle sprints, winning the 50-yard in 21.10 and the 100-yard in 46.53. Sophomore Shintaro Noguchi also won an event, as he swam to a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 50.96. Also adding to the win tally for the men was freshman Kevin Kosciuk, who won the 200-yard intermediate in a time of 1:59.13. Morris and Noguchi would then go on to team up with freshman Patrick Millitti and senior Patrick Mulligan to win the 200 yard freestyle in 1:24.43.

As we enter the month of February, the A-10 Championships for winter sports draw closer. The Rams' swimming and diving teams have only one more meet and two weeks until the A-10 Championships. After their home dual meet against St. Francis on Wednesday, Feb. 8, the teams have the A-10s in sight. As senior Courtney Collyer puts it, the team is "just trying to stay focused and continue to work hard."

The women look towards a potential championship, coming off a second-place finish last season, but as Collyer also said, "we are not as much concerned with our overall place, but more with our times improving. We've put in a lot of hard work this season, and I know we are all going to do great at A-10s, and a championship title along with that would just be the cherry on top."

The men also have plenty to look forward to, as their upperclassmen leaders look to bring a plethora of highly talented underclassmen into their peak as the championship approaches. The men's team looks to improve on last year's sixth place finish.

The teams next compete on home turf as they take on St. Francis on Wednesday, Feb. 8 in the Col. Frances B. Messmore Aquatics Center at 6 p.m.