By David Bates
Staff Writer
A great deal was on the line last Saturday afternoon for both the men’s and women’s swim teams. It was the last home meet of the season, the last dual meet of the season, and the annual senior meet. As if all this weren’t enough, the meet was against UR’s perennial crosstown rival — the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers.
The women’s team was able to splash its way to a decisive victory. Senior Val Atwood shined in the night dedicated to her class by posting wins in both the 100 backstroke (1:01.16) and 200 backstroke (2:14.35). Likewise, Bridget Festa, a junior, posted wins in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.07) and in the 200 breaststroke (2:36.58). Corinne Lampe, a sophomore, had wins of her own in the 200 fly (2:21.18) and the 500 free (5:30.64).
Seniors Cailee Caldwell and Dayna Jacob had important individual wins at the final home meet of their collegiate careers as well. Caldwell won the 200 free (2:01.47), while Jacob won the 100 free (56.07) by a narrow margin.
Freshman Deb Korzun and junior Emily Scott were critical to the overall team win, both scoring individual victories. Korzun won the 1000 free (11:21.66), while Scott claimed the 50 free (25.52). The 200 medley relay of Atwood, Jessica Indyk, Lampe and Jacob also won with a time of 1:55.03.
On the boards, sophomore Megan Braun won the three-meter board with a score of 192.00. The result of the women’s afternoon was a swim away victory, 197-84.
A much more fiercely contested battle took place on the men’s side, as the team champion was only definite after the last race of the day.
The relay of sophomores Adam Bossert and Christian Vu and freshmen Mike Ricci and Alex King knew they needed to win the 200 freestyle relay, the last race of the day, to get the team victory Saturday afternoon. They did so in style, just edging their RIT counterparts by 33 one-hundredths of a second to win the event and the day, 151-149.
Vu and senior Kevin Howard both won two events. Vu doubled in the 200 freestyle (1:47.32) and the 100 freestyle (49.30), while Howard, in his final home meet of his collegiate career, put the finishing touches on a distinguished career in the 100 backstroke (54.65), and the 200 backstroke (2:00.53).
Other individual winners included Bossert in the 100 breastsroke (1:02.23) and freshman Chris Frederickson in the 200 breaststroke (2:21.44). The 200 medley relay of Howard, Bossert, King and sophomore Alex Sundermann also placed first.
“I was really excited and pumped that I set a personal record,” Frederickson said.
While both teams posted wins on the day — and both look quite strong heading into their championship season — neither the senior men nor women could leave the RIT meet without a sense of reflection.
“Everyone will miss [the seniors],” Frederickson said. “The team won’t be the same without them next year.”
Bates is a member of
the class of 2014.
