2024 PIRATE DUELS
- October 5, 2024
- Greenville, N.C.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Teams: ECU, Catawba College, Gardner-Webb, Barton
- Results
Courtesy: ECU Athletics
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina swimming team opened the 2024-15 season sweeping the Pirate Duels Saturday afternoon inside Minges Natatorium. The Pirates defeated Barton (218-42), Gardner-Webb (207-51) and Catawba (174-87).
“I thought we swam well for the first meet,” said ECU Head Coach Matthew Jabs. “We still have some work to do, but overall, the staff and I are pleased.”
In her first meet with the Pirates, junior Laura Lopez was a member of the 200-yard medley relay team with Kaylee Hamblin, Laura Kellberg and Carlie Clements that finished first with a time of 144:32. She also finished first in the 100-yard backstroke (57.34) and in the 200-yard backstroke (2:05.48) and placed third in the 200-yard IM (2:10.71).
Sophomore Sophie Benkusky and the 200-yard medley relay team with Meghan Armstrong, Juliana Kratka and Sara Kalawska finished second with a time of 1:46.65. Benkusky won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.02 and took third in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.65. She closed out her day as a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that finished second (3:36.41) with Elena Dinehart, Sophie Knepper and Kalawska.
Senior Kaylee Hamblin claimed first in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.09) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:17.89), while helping also helping the Pirates win the 200-yard medley relay (1:44.32).
Junior Sara Kalawska won the 100-yard butterfly (56.49) and 200-butterfly (2:04.21), while helping her squad to second place finishes in the 200-yard medley relay (1:46/45) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:36.41).
The Pirates return to the pool on Friday, Oct. 25 hosting Campbell. ECU’s diving team will open its season on Friday, Oct. 18 hosting NC State.
Courtesy: Catawba Athletics
Greeneville, N.C. —- For the first time in program history, Catawba men’s swimming topped Division I Gardner-Webb, while also besting Barton to open their 2024 season at the ECU Pirate Duels.
Catawba edged out Gardner-Webb 143-114, while rolling to a 200-56 win over Barton.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1000 Yard Freestyle
– Freshman Jurek Larys impressed in his collegiate debut, defeating all swimmers in the 1000 Free with a time of 9:42.22
200 Yard Freestyle
– Fellow freshman Nazar Herashchenko also earned a top finish in his collegiate debut, finishing two seconds clear of the next competitor in the 200 Free, posting a 1:43.47
100 Yard Breaststroke
– Maks Minichowski finished nearly four seconds clear of the rest of the pack in the 100 Breast, posting a 55.82 mark
100 Yard Freestyle
– Minichowski followed up with another win over GWU and Barton swimmers with a 45.59 time in the 100 Free
200 Yard Breaststroke
– Reigning SAC champion Balazs Meszaros picked up where he left off in the 200 Breast, edging the top GWU simmer by less than .2 seconds with a 2:09.34 effort
500 Yard Freestyle
– Herashchenko was over 10 seconds clear in the 500 Free, earning a 4:38.59 time in the 500 Free
100 Yard Butterfly
– Freshman Lassi Niemi bested the top GWU swimmer with a 50.48 mark in the 100 Fly
200 Yard IM
– Meszaros earned another top finish in the 200 IM, finishing three seconds clear with a time of 1:56.34
400 Yard Freestyle Relay
– Catawba’s relay team of Minichowski, Cameron Watson, Niemi and Ryan Case finished the event with a bang, besting Gardner-Webb with a 3:07.53 time
UP NEXT
– Catawba returns to action on Friday, Oct. 18, hosting Division I Queens at Johnson Pool
Courtesy: Gardner-Webb Athletics
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb University swimming team opened its 2024-25 season on Saturday afternoon, taking part in the Pirate Duels at East Carolina, taking on hosts ECU, Barton College and Catawba College.
In the men’s 200-meter relay, the Runnin’ Bulldogs took the top spot. The quartet of freshman Agustin Orechia, senior Josh David Cass, junior Justin Bender and sophomore Jacob Jensen touched the wall in 1:33.84, over a half second ahead of second place Catawba.
In the men’s 1000-yard freestyle, sophomore Luke Weber touched the wall with a podium finish. With a time of 10:03.24, that was enough to bring home third place in the event.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs continued with good pace in the men’s 100-yard backstroke. Orechia took the top spot with a time of 51.67, just ahead of teammate and freshman Lucas Warner in second with a time of 52.73
The women’s 100-yard backstroke saw yet another good performance, this time from freshman Dakota Townley. Townley made it to the wall at 1:05.78, just beating out her opponent from Catabwa for a second place run. Townley also managed a fourth place run in the women’s 200-yard backstroke, finishing in 2:21.73
The 100-yard backstroke saw a trio of Runnin’ Bulldogs in order with Bender (59.39) in second, senior Logan Butner (59.65) in third, and sophomore Dan Bennett (59.94) in fourth. Bender also saw action in the men’s-200 yard backstroke, with a third place finish in 2:11.25 over there, just behind teammate senior Ryan Taylor in second at 2:09.52
Over in the men’s 200-yard butterfly, it was sophomore Alex Cook taking a win for Gardner-Webb. Cook completed his race in 1:54.80 to bring home a first place finish.
The 50-yard freestyle proved to be one of the best events of the day for Gardner-Webb. On the men’s side, Jensen came first place with a time of 21.38 seconds, while sophomore Slawka Ndubuisi placed second on the women’s side at 24.01 seconds. Ndubuisi also managed fourth in the women’s 100-yard freestyle later on.
Orechia was one of the top performers also in the men’s 200-yard backstroke as well, winning the event with a time clocked in at 1:53.58. In addition to that performance, Orechia also grabbed third in the men’s 100-yard butterfly, just behind Cass who finished in second for Gardner-Webb at 51.29
The men’s 400-yard freestyle relay also proved to be a strong event, where the Runnin’ Bulldogs placed second. Jensen, Cass, freshman Manuel Brander and senior Theo Drescher combined for a time of 3:09.22
The next scheduled event for Gardner-Webb Swimming is a women’s only match-up at UNC Asheville, currently set for 11 a.m. on October 12th.
