“Making Waves: Swim & Dive Teams Conquer Canisius for Historic Men’s Division I Win!”

Buffalo, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads faced off against Canisius University in their initial competition since the Magnus Cup in late November on Saturday afternoon. The contest was divided as it signified the men’s program’s inaugural win against a Division I competitor, concluding with a score of 139-102, while the women’s team suffered a defeat, 166-76. 

“​​We had an outstanding training session, first in Syracuse, then in West Palm Beach, Fla. Last week we began preparing for the meet,” stated head coach Adam Zaczkowski ’04. “I discussed with the athletes the concept of mind over matter.  We were all experiencing soreness and fatigue. We recognized that Canisius felt the same.”

“I was truly impressed by our women’s diving team. Freshman Gabby Williams (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia-Glenville) triumphed in both the one-meter and three-meter boards, while junior Riley Brennen (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) showcased her usual toughness, as her two second-place finishes significantly distinguished us from them.”

“I believed freshmen Shannon Swezey (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) and Kim Velazquez (Fairfield, C.T./Fairfield Warde) both delivered exceptional performances. Swezey struggled with injury during the first semester and is now finally healthy, while Velazquez is maintaining her impressive start from the first half of the season.”

“Our women’s 200 Freestyle Relay was just narrowly outperformed and would have provided a fantastic conclusion to the meet.”

“On the men’s front, I want to acknowledge our freshmen and sophomores. Freshmen Michael White Jr. (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker), Alex Pilieci (Ottawa, O.N./John McCrae), and Lucas Clay (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker), alongside sophomore Justin Enser (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) all clinched victories in individual events, while the 400-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relays also emerged victorious.”

“Our trio of divers excelled on the boards today and will undoubtedly be a formidable presence in the NEC Championships at the end of February.”

“We understood that we had a genuine opportunity to win today. We outperformed the Canisius team at mid-season championships, and I knew it would require an extraordinary effort from them to overcome us. This first triumph is a testament to our excellent strength and conditioning coaches, Ben Gaal and Lucas Brey, along with our team trainer, Sam Familo.”

“We conclude the regular season with three home matches against LIU, Niagara, and Cornell, with our matchup against LIU set for 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.”

Women’s Squad:

Velazquez secured second place in the 1000-yard freestyle, clocking a final time of 11:22.02.

Sophomore Kayleigh Bigwarfe (Glenmont, N.Y/Glenmont) achieved second place in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing at 55.93.

The team made up of sophomore Lucy Catalano (Glenville, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), freshman Kaiya Fraley (Watervliet, N.Y./Shaker), Swezey, and Bigwarfe secured second place in the 200-yard freestyle relay, finishing with a time of 1:42.33.

Williams, Brennen, and freshman Alyssa Kearns (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) topped the one-meter dive with scores of 222.45, 183.08, and 152.78, respectively. Williams and Brennen again placed first and second in the three-meter dive with scores of 224.85 and 165.83.

Men’s Team:

The relay team featuring sophomore Enser, Clay, Pilieci, and freshman Jack Milligan (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) clinched first place in the 400-yard medley with a time of 3:27.72.

Enser took first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.57.

White triumphed in the 200-yard IM with a final time of 1:56.17, as well as in the 100-yard freestyle clocking 47.31.

Pilieci excelled in the 200-yard butterfly, finishing at 1:55.85.

Clay concluded with a time of 2:04.81, earning first place in the 200-yard breaststroke.

White, Enser, sophomore Michael Han (Auckland, N.Z./Pakuranga College), and junior Xavier Silaika (Rexford, N.Y./Shenendehowa) took the top spot in the 200-yard freestyle relay, clocking 1:25.20.

Junior Patrick Scott (Utica, N.Y./New Hartford/Niagara), freshman Louis Allison (Queensbury, N.y./Queenbury), and sophomore Adam Kaszovitz (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) secured first to third in the one-meter dive with scores of 237.15, 212.70, and 197.18, respectively. This trio also finished first through third in the three-meter dive, with Allison (218.25), Scott (206.40), and Kaszovitz (191.70).

What’s Next:

The Dolphins will return to Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J. Pool for their first home meet in two months, hosting LIU starting at 11:00 a.m.