Swimmers, divers set pace on opening night at METs |cnbnews.net
Friday, March 23, 2012
Released March 22, 2012
Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey men’s swimming and diving team used a steady diet of top eight finishers on the second night of the 2012 Metropolitan Conference Championships to increase its lead entering the final day of competition.
photo women's diver Danica Roskos
The Lions, who are seeking their sixth straight MET title, had multiple finalists in all but one individual event and took first and fourth place in the relay races.
The 200-medley relay team set the tone for the evening in the opening event as freshman Aleksander Burzynksi (Colonia, NJ/St. Joseph’s), sophomore Michael Oliva (Vineland, NJ/Vineland), junior Adam Schneider (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) and senior Ryan Clark (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) placed first in the race. They posted an NCAA provisional time of 1:31.34 to take top honors.
Sophomore Stephen Tarnowski (Ramstein, Germany/Ramstein American) and junior Evan Paulan (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) finished third and fourth in the 400 individual medley. Tarnowski produced a NCAA B-cut time of 4:07.42 just ahead of Paulan to touched the wall in 4:08.74.
TCNJ went four, five, six to collect points in the 100-butterfly. Schneider posted a time of 50.93, sophomore Stephen Gibson (Sewell, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) followed at 51.07, and sophomore William Kasper (Forked River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) clocked 51.35.
Four swimmers qualified for the ‘A’ final in the 200-freestyle event. Seniors Ryan Clark (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and Jesse Taylor (Closter, NJ/Northern Valley) led the way claiming third and fourth place. Clark registered an NCAA provisional time with a finish of 1:41.09. Taylor posted a time of 1:42.71 and was followed by junior Brian Giacopelli (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) and Michael Caputo (Staten Island, NY/Curtis). Giacopelli took sixth (1:43.47) and Caputo was seventh (1:44.43).
In other finals, Burzynski posted an NCAA B-cut time of 51.56 in the 100-back to place sixth. Freshman Matthew VanBiervliet (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) finished eighth in that race in 53.78. Oliva also placed seventh in the 100-breast with a time of 59.23.
The Lions placed fourth in the 800-free relay. Giacopelli, Caputo, freshman Brian Perez (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney), and Tarnowski coasted to a finish of 6:59.93.
The final day of competition begins with the 200-back preliminary heats tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. The final races get off the blocks at 5:30 p.m.
Women’s
The College of New Jersey women’s swimming and diving team took one step closer to capturing its fifth straight Metropolitan Conference championship as they extended their lead in day two of the event. The Lions have a strong hold on second place
In one the most exciting events of the night, junior Kayleigh Shangle (Highland Park, NJ/Highland Park) went head-to-head with Naomi Woodcock Saint Rose College in the 100-yard breast event. Shangle came out on top, posting an NCAA provisional time of 1:04.83 to edge Woodcock who finished in 1:04.93. Freshman Nicole Muha (Dunellen, NJ/Dunellen) placed fifth in that final with a time of 1:06.88
Senior Laura Pierce (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) excelled in the 100-butterfly, posting an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 55.81. That earned her second place in the race while freshman Brennah Ross (Paoli, PA/Cyber Charter School) placed sixth finishing in 59.33.
The Lions racked up a cluster of points in the 400-individual medley, spearheaded by junior Samantha Parlow (Brick, NJ/Monsignor Donovan). She placed second in the event with a time of 4:37.05. Also competing in the ‘A’ final was senior Courtney Fuhro (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) and sophomore Amy Schurer (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown). Fuhro registered a time of 4:43.54 to place fifth and Schurer followed in sixth with a finish of 4:45.98.
Senior Melissa Hessler (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) was the runner-up finisher in the 200-free with a time of 1:54.24. In the 100-backstroke, sophomore Hailey Growney (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) put forth a strong performance by finishing third in 59.90.
In the relay events, the Lions took third in the 200-medley as Growney, senior Kelsey Herchenrider (Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape May Regional), Pierce, and Shangle clocked a finish of 1:47.48. In the final event of the evening, freshman Summer Thomas (North Plainfield, NJ/Metuchen), Ross, junior Jenny Zavoda (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick), and Hessler finished second overall with a time of 7:47.15.
The final day of competition begins with the 200-back preliminary heats tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. The final races get off the blocks at 5:30 p.m.
Senior Laura Pierce (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) and junior diver Danica Roskos (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) turned in exceptional performances as The College of New Jersey women’s swimming and diving team got off to a
sophomore Sabrina Lucchesi (Columbus, NJ/Notre Dame) took the top two spots in the 3-meter event. Roskos showcased championship form registering a score of 542.15, while Lucchesi was right behind, tallying 464.65 to place second.
Senior Melissa Hessler (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra), freshman Brennah Ross (Paoli, PA/Cyber Charter School), junior Kayleigh Shangle (Highland Park, NJ/Highland Park), and Pierce propelled the Lions to a quick start off the blocks in the opening ‘A’ final event. That 200-yard freestyle relay team posted an NCAA provisional time of 1:36.
In the 200-individual medley event, TCNJ boasted three swimmers in the ‘A’ final. Ross finished runner-up in her first MET individual final with a time of 2:09.65. Junior Samantha Parlow (Brick, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) took fourth with a time of 2:11.36 and senior Courtney Fuhro (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) notched an eighth-place finish.
The Lions took a fifth and seventh place in the 500-free. Hessler raced to a finish of 5:11.93, while junior Jenny Zavoda (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) clocked a time of 5:13.24.
Freshman Nicole Muha (Dunellen, NJ/Dunellen), Shangle, Pierce and Ross closed out the opening night with a second-place finish in the 400-free relay. They registered a time of 3:52.29, less than a second off the winning time posted by Bridgeport.
The second day of competition begins at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. The opening event is the 200-medley relay. The finals are scheduled to begin at 5:30.
