The Massachusetts swim and dive squads both faced defeats in competitive contests against Bryant on Saturday afternoon in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The Minutemen (0-3) ended up losing 172-125 to the male Bulldogs (5-3), whereas the Minutewomen (0-5) succumbed 176.5-123.5 to the female Bulldogs (6-2).
The UMass men’s team achieved 18 top-three placements and secured six individual gold medals, while the women’s team garnered 22 top-three placements and five individual gold medals.
Freshman Chase Keeler stood out on the men’s swim team, capturing multiple gold medals for the Minutemen. He secured his first gold in the 200 backstroke, finishing with a time of 1:54.33. Following that, Keeler claimed first place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:58.50. Freshman Zach Szabo earned a bronze in the 200 backstroke, furthering the impressive performance of both teams’ freshman cohorts.
Sophomore Lindsay Burbage has been a prominent performer for the Minutewomen and maintained her solid performances on Saturday. She secured another gold medal by finishing first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.58. Burbage also achieved second place in the 200 breaststroke, clocking in at 2:25.03, resulting in her leaving with multiple medals.
Both teams demonstrated success on the diving boards, winning three of four coveted gold medals. Junior Andrew Bell continued his stellar season for the Minutemen’s diving squad, achieving first in both the one-meter and three-meter dives with scores of 360.68 points and 384.75 points, respectively. Junior Shreeya Sinha finished first in the three-meter dive for the Minutewomen, accumulating 258.68 points. Freshman Danielle Guerin took second place in the three-meter dive with a score of 247.65, while junior Salem Howes finished second and Guerin secured third in the one-meter dive.
Senior Anna Kwon set the tone for the Minutewomen, achieving first place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:57.03.
The UMass freshmen maintained their impressive season, with freshman Karinne Everly finishing first in the 100 freestyle at 54.17. In the 50 freestyle, first-years Courtney Tedesco and Elizabeth Lahmann placed second and third, respectively, with times of 24.67 and 24.85. Freshman Hannah Schoenauer took first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:12.04, while sophomore Diya Ackerman-Vallala finished third at 2:13.19.
On the men’s side, sophomore Aydin Erkan achieved first place in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:53.75, while graduate Juan Montori rounded out the top three with a 1:58.16. Senior Grant Beebe placed second in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.19.
Sammy Quigg had several top-three finishes throughout the day, continuing his strong performance as a junior. The Florida native achieved first place in the 100 freestyle at 46.31, while also finishing second in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.28. Aidan Shepston captured a bronze medal in the 100 freestyle with a time of 48.34.
Both UMass teams concluded with two silver medals in the relay events. A quartet of Quigg, Beebe, freshman Nate Derby, and senior Beau Bengston finished with a time of 1:33.87 in the men’s 200 medley relay. Shepston, Bengston, Beebe, and Quigg completed the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:25.56.
The women’s 200 medley relay team, including Burbage, graduate Ashley Calderon, graduate Bri Williams, and sophomore Beren Cakiroglu, delivered a silver medal-winning performance with a combined time of 1:47.80. Lahmann, Tedesco, Williams, and Cakiroglu collaborated to conclude the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:38.88.
Both the Minutemen and Minutewomen have a two-week break before traveling to Hanover, New Hampshire, on Jan. 17 and 18 to participate in the Tate Ramsden Invitational.
Irwin Mburu can be contacted at [email protected] and on X @IrwinMburu.