Fordham Sweeps Manhattan in Battle of the Bronx

Manhattan at Fordham

• Dec. 5, 2018
• Men: Fordham def. Manhattan 161-109
• Women: Fordham def. Manhattan 182-86
• Results

Courtesy: Fordham Athletics

Bronx, N.Y. – (December 5, 2018) – The Fordham swimming & diving team had their final home meet prior to the holiday break on Wednesday, hosting the Manhattan Jaspers at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center.  The Rams finished on a good note, picking up a 182-86 win on the women’s side and a 161-109 win for the men.

Highlighting the night’s action, Fordham junior Molly Dunn qualified for the NCAA Zone Championship by winning the one-meter diving event with a career-best score of 273.15.  She also added a win on the three-meter board with a score of 260. 40.

In men’s diving, Diego Perez captured both event wins, scoring 210.46 on the one-meter board and 223.81 on the three-meter board.

On the swimming side, Fordham posted event wins in all 13 women’s events, led by Milly Furneaux, who took first in the 50 (30.48) and 100 (1:07.23) breaststroke, while Kysha Marie Altura won both the 100 butterfly (58.85) and the 100 IM (1:01.19).  Tara Brunner and Naima Mackrel each won an individual event, while being a part of both winning relays.  Brunner finished first in the 50 butterfly (25.62) with Mackrel getting the top spot in the 50 backstroke (27.52).

In the relays, Brunner and Mackrel joined Furneaux and Michelle Martin to win the 200 medley relay in 1:48.35, while in the 200 freestyle relay, the duo teamed with Caitlin McNary and Kiara Norris to win in 1:36.79.

Other event winners on Wednesday included Chloe Mitchell in the 200 freestyle (1:58.54), Samantha McDonald in the 50 freestyle (25.01), Noelle Theodoulou in the 100 freestyle (54.12), Paulina Watson in the 100 backstroke (1:00.08), and Bayley Frierson in the 500 freestyle (5:10.77).

On the men’s side, Fordham captured the top spot in 11 of 13 swimming events, including both relays.  The 200 medley relay team of Scott Stern, Travis Monahan, Spencer Clarke, and Bryce Bollesen placed first in 1:36.67, while the 200 freestyle relay squad of Monahan, Auston Ramsay, Stern, and Bollesen took first in 1:26.23.

Individually, nine different Rams won an event, starting with Danny McGowan in the 200 freestyle (1:46.43) and Ramsay in the 50 backstroke (24.52).  Other first place finishes came from Monahan in the 50 breaststroke (27.45), Greg Lombana in the 100 butterfly (53.43), Bollesen in the 50 freestyle (21.46), Lucas Keh in the 100 freestyle (49.31), Christopher Sleutjes in the 500 freestyle (4:48.66), A.J. Frakes in the 50 butterfly (24.16), and Clarke in the 100 IM (53.92).

The Fordham swimming & diving team will next be in action on January 19th at La Salle, with the meet beginning at 11:00 AM.

Courtesy: Manhattan Athletics 

Bronx, NY – In the final meet of the 2018 calendar year, Manhattan swimming and diving fell to Fordham on Wednesday evening at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center.

The men’s team lost by a score of 161-109, while the women’s team was defeated 182-86.

Sophomore Artur Polyak (Haifa, Israel / Pittsburgh) was Manhattan’s first individual winner of the meet, taking home the gold in the 100 Back in 52.98 seconds. Junior captain Timothy Valentine (Massapequa, NY / Chaminade) won the 100 Breast in 1:01.83 and was second in the 50 Breast at 28.73 seconds.

The men’s 200 Free Relay team, featuring freshmen Matthew Shen (Waxhaw, NC / Marvin Ridge) and Kyle Bergin (Lynbrook, NY / Lynbrook Senior) as well as sophomores Derek Lederer (Blauvelt, NY / Tappan Zee) and Charles Ledda (New Fairfield, CT / New Fairfield), had the fastest time, clocking in at 1:30.79.

Junior Kelsey Eastman (Effort, PA / Wagner) excelled in the 100 Breast for the women, swimming a season-best 1:09.74 to earn silver. Senior Megan Pagano (Lagrangeville, NY / Arlington) and freshman Sarah Hamilton (Northland, New Zealand / St. Cuthbert’s College) earned the bronze in the 100 IM and 200 Free, respectively.

Manhattan returns to the pool in 2019 when both teams compete in the FIU Sprint Invite, hosted by Florida International, on Saturday, January 5 at 10:00 am. The meet is part of the team’s annual training camp that takes place during Winter Break.