UMass vs Fairfield
- January 25, 2025
- Fairfield, Conn.
- SCM (25 meters)
- Results
Courtesy: UMass Athletics
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The University of Massachusetts women’s swimming and diving team defeated Fairfield, 159-141, on Saturday afternoon at the RecPlex Pool, while the men’s swimming and diving team fell 175-125 to the Stags.
The team’s competed in its first short course meter event for the first time since the 2019 season, when UMass did against Fairfield on the road. With the event being the first short course meters event, the times recorded in all swimming events mark a personal-best.
The Minutewomen and Minutemen combined for 14 first-place finishes on the day, with the women’s team earning eight and the men’s team tabbing six.
Women’s Swimming & Diving
The Minutewomen totaled 26 top three finishes on the day to go along with eight gold medals.
Sophomore Sophie Porter began the individual events with a second-place finish in the 800 freestyle with a time of 9:12.53, followed by junior Lexi Alexen in third with a time of 9:14.20. The 200 freestyle saw sophomore Beren Cakiroglu take second with a time of 2:05.84 and senior Anna Kwon place third with a time of 2:07.11.
In the 100 backstroke, graduate student Bri Williams touched the wall first with a time of 1:02.58, while freshman Maria Grishaeva was fourth with a time of 1:04.44. Sophomore Lindsay Burbage claimed second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:11.31.
Senior Lauren Stott (2:18.55) and graduate student Ashley Calderon (2:19.64) finished first and second, respectively, in the 200 butterfly, as freshman Karinne Everly was fourth (2:23.33). Freshman Courtney Tedesco swam into second with a time of 26.51 in the 500 freestyle, while sophomore Ali Merone placed fourth with a time of 27.41. Cakirgolu secured the gold in the 100 freestyle with a time of 58.02.
Williams (2:17.89) and Grishaeva (2:20.45) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 200 backstroke. Freshman Kendall Gilbert earned first with a time of 2:35.10 in the 200 breaststroke with Burbage placing fourth with a time of 2:37.80. Sophomore Olga Stoura recorded a time of 4:30.61 in the 400 freestyle for a fourth-place finish.
Calderon sat atop the podium in the 100 butterfly with time of 1:01.91, followed by Stott in second with a time of 1:02.52. Freshman Hannah Schoenauer claimed third (2:20.66) in the 200 individual medley, while sophomore Diya Ackerman-Vallala was fourth (2:21.01) to complete the individual events.
During the 200 medley relay, the team of Williams, Burbage, Calderon and freshman Elizabeth Lahmann placed second with a time of 1:55.70, while the team of Grishaeva, Ackerman-Vallala, Kwon and Tedesco swam into third with a time of 1:56.91.
The 400 freestyle relay team consisting of Cakiroglu, Tedesco, Ackerman-Vallala and Kwon secured the gold medal with a combined time of 3:52.59, as the team of Stott, Calderon, Williams and Stoura finished in third with a time of 3:57.35.
Men’s Swimming & Diving
The Minutemen earned six first-place finishes of their own and added 19 top-three finishes.
Sophomore Jude Boukarroum kicked off the individual events with a first-place finish in the 800 freestyle with a time of 8:23.68, followed by freshman Cam Wright in third with a time of 8:35.42. Junior Sammy Quigg took third in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:53.96.
In the 100 backstroke, freshman Zach Szabo was third with a time of 56.70 and senior Beau Bengston placed fourth with a time of 57.19. Freshman Nate Derby swam into second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.53, as sophomore Aydin Erkan touched the wall first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:03.05.
The 50 freestyle saw junior Aidan Shepston claim third (23.79) and senior Grant Beebe place fourth (23.86). Quigg swam a time of 51.83 in the 100 freestyle for a second-place finish, while graduate student Juan Montori recorded a time of 52.81 to take fourth. Sophomore Cole Brooks was fourth in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:09.85.
Derby picked up the gold in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:19.77. Boukarroum (4:07.82), freshman Daniel Strumidlo (4:09.80) and Wright (4:10.71) finished the 400 freestyle in second, third and fourth, respectively.
Beebe finished first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.67, as Montori was third with a time of 56.16 and freshman Liam Rayson was fourth with a time of 57.42. Derby completed the individual events with a fourth-place finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:10.19.
During the relay events, the team of Bengston, Derby, Beebe and Quigg finished second with a time of 1:42.85 in the 200 medley relay. The 400 freestyle relay team consisting of Shepston, Montori, Rayson and Quigg were third with a time of 3:28.27.
On The Boards
The Minutewomen finished first, second, third and fourth in both the one-meter and three-meter dives.
Freshman Danielle Guerin placed first in the one-meter event with a personal-best total of 297.98, which also marked the fourth all-time best score in program history. Junior Salem Howes secured second-place with a six-dive total of 244.65, followed by freshman Khrystyna Yaremyn in third with a score of 240.00 and fellow junior Shreeya Sinha in fourth with a total of 238.65.
During the three-meter event, Sinha grabbed the gold with a six-dive total of 301.88, as Yaremyn earned the silver with a personal-best score of 293.03 and Guerin claimed the bronze with a personal-best score of 270.00. Howes was fourth with a six-dive total of 251.93.
For the Minutemen, junior Andrew bell and freshman Alex Kreidler took the first two spots on the podium in both the one-meter and three-meter dives. Bell totaled a 342.98 in the one-meter and a 391.05 in the three-meter to take first place in both. Kreidler was second in both events with a 294.98 in the one-meter and a personal-best total of 297.23 in the three-meter.
Up Next
UMass hosts Atlantic 10 rival Fordham on Saturday, February 1, at Joseph R. Rogers, Jr. Pool for Senior Day.
Courtesy: Fairfield Athletics
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University swimming and diving teams broke 21 short course meter records this afternoon which resulted in a split of a dual meet with the University of Massachusetts at RecPlex Pool. The men’s team outscored UMass by a 175-125 score while the women were edged by a count of 159-141.
The Stags started the meet as strong as they could by sweeping the top spot in both 400 medley relays with the women finishing first in 1:55.11 behind the efforts of Erini Pappas, Tone Sandsjo, Lara Kisakol, and Olivia Thompson while the men completed the event in 1:42.11 courtesy of Max McMillan, Enrique Garcia, Chris Dauser, and Cormac Rouse.
The individual events went just as well with Sofia Smerechniak grabbing first place with her time of 9:08.54. Fairfield came back with top more first-place times from Erin Hoyland (2:04.68) and Adam Schnapf (1:50.23) in the 200 free. Max McMillan also garnered the best time in the 100 back by clocking in at 56.12.
The Stags enjoyed another sweep in the 100 breast with Tone Sandsjo touching the wall in 1:10.11 and Enrique Garcia doing the same in 1:04.36. Olivia Thompson kept the momentum rolling with her first-place time of 26.35 in the 50 free while Alex Belfer and Cormac Rouse tied for the top spot, each registering a time of 23.72.
Tim Regan scored the highest in the 100 free standings by garnering a time of 51.73. The 200 back event saw Erini Pappas and Aidan Schnapf pick up gold with times of 2:16.12 and 2:02.14, respectively. Erin Hoyland and Joseph Stewart each collected another win by posting times of 4:26.31 and 4:06.66 respectively in the 400 free.
The final individual event also resulted in gold for Erini Pappas, who finished in 2:19.48, and Ed Hunt, who ended his day with a time of 2:05.53. The men’s 400 free relay concluded the afternoon activities by posting the best time of 3:24.55. The relay team was comprised by Joseph Stewart, Chris Dauser, Cormac Rouse, and Aidan Schnapf.
The Fairfield University swimming and diving teams honored the senior class prior to the meet, a class that includes 17 student-athletes. The Stags finished up the dual meet portion of their schedules today and now turn their focus to the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships which will be held at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. The event will run from February 12-15.
