2022 CAA Champs: Brian Benzing Breaks CAA Record with 52.34 100 Breast on Day 3

2022 COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 16-19, 2022
• Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Christiansburg, VA
• Championship Central 
• Results on Meet Mobile as “2022 CAA Swimming and Diving Championship”

DAY 1 RESULTS

DAY 2 RESULTS

DAY 3 RESULTS

Team Scores

MEN

1. UNCW – 647.5
2. Towson – 439.5
3. Delaware – 406.5
4. Drexel – 406
5. William & Mary – 217.5

WOMEN

1. William & Mary – 438.5
2. UNCW – 419
3. Drexel – 358
4. Towson – 353.5
5. Delaware – 287
6. Northeastern – 273

UNCW has expanded their lead in the men’s standings as we head into the final day of the 2022 CAA Championships, and all but have the title locked up. William and Mary is still locked in a tight battle on the women’s side with UNCW, entering day 4 just 19.5 points ahead.

Brian Benzing, a Towson sophomore, won the men’s 100 breast for the 2nd year in a row, breaking his CAA conference record in the process. Benzing swam a 52.34. Delaware freshman Toni Sabev was 2nd in 52.53, also touching under the previous CAA record of 52.57. Benzing used a blistering 24.48 on the first 50 of the race to establish a lead which Sabev would be unable to fully track down on the back half. Nonetheless, we can look forward to a few more years of races between Benzing and Sabev.

It was a great night for Delaware breaststrokers, as another Delaware freshman, Mania Tasakou, won the women’s 100 breast in 1:01.67. The win marked the first time in program history that Delware won a CAA title in the women’s 100 breast.

Delaware also picked up a win in the women’s 200 free, where Mira Selling got her hand on the wall first in a very tight race with Drexel’s Chelsea Gravereaux. Gravereaux was out faster, flipping at the 100 mark in 51.39, compared to 52.22 from Selling. Battling back on the back half of the race, Selling touched the wall first in 1:4767, with Gravereaux 2nd in 1:47.78. This was Selling’s 2nd consecutive CAA title in the event.

Drexel freshman Alessio Gianni also won a tight race in the men’s 200 free, finishing in 1:37.34. As was the case in women’s 200 free, Gianni was out slower than both UNCW’s Jacob Duracinsky and Towson’s Ryan Baldino on the first half of the race, but came back faster. Duracisnky touched 2nd in 1:37.40, and Baldino was 3rd with a 1:37.61.

Northeastern posted a 1-2 finish in the women’s 100 fly, where Jamie Koo touched first in 53.47, just off meet record of 53.21. Hannah Seward took 2nd with a 53.81.

UNCW’s Henderson Louviere took the men’s 100 fly in 46.99, setting a new UNCW program record. UNCW’s Aiden Duffy won the men’s 400 IM in 3:50.01, also establishing a new program record. It was a podium sweep for UNCW, as 500 free champion Sam O’Brien touched 2nd in 3:52.70, and Silas Crosby was 3rd with a 3:52.93. UNCW also picked up men’s wins in the 100 back, where William Barker touched first in 48.04, and 3-meter diving, where Nicholas Newis scored 310.45 points to win by 36 points.

In the women’s 400 IM, UNCW’s Kathryn Knorr finished first in 4:19.72, touching the wall nearly 4 seconds ahead of the field. She was excellent on the middle 200 of the race, splitting 1:02.50 on backstroke and 1:16.07 on breaststroke.

William and Mary grabbed a win on the night, with Anna Kenna touching in 54.50.

In  night’s the relays, Drexel won the women’s 200 free relay for the first time in school history. Lera Nasedkina (22.92), Ryann Styer (23.07), Victoria Palochik (22.75), and Chelsea Gravereaux (22.72) teamed up for a 1:31.46. Towson won the men’s 200 free relay for the 2nd year in a row, with Brian Benzing (20.22), Michael Fazio (19.53), Luke Schwar (19.71), and Ryan Baldino (19.57) combined for a 1:19.03.