Villanova Women, Xavier Men Dominate on Day 3 of Big East Conference

2016 BIG EAST MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27
• Nassau Country Aquatic Center, East Meadow, NY (Eastern Time Zone)
• Prelims 10AM / Finals 6 PM
• Defending Champion: Villanova women & Xavier men (results)
• Live results
• Championship Central

Women 400 IM

1. Gabrielle Daigneault 4:21.81
2. Caitlin Daday 4:22.17
3. Christine Sullivan 4:24.40

Defending 400 IM champion, Daday took more than 2 seconds off the time she swam at the 2015 championships, but it wasn’t enough for the victory this year. Villanova still garnered high points in the event, when teammates clinched the first 1-2-3 sweep of the evening.

Men 400 IM

1. Lior Grubert 3:56.29
2. Samuel Delise 3:57.93
3. James Foster 3:58.77

Last year it was Georgetown’s Daniel Ross with the victory, ahead of Delise and Foster, this year it was Seton Hall’s Grubert who swam an almost identical time to 2015 victory time of 3:56.30, Delise and Foster both regained their 2nd and 3rd place spots respectively, but both improved on their times done at the 2015 championships.

Women 100 Fly

1. Alexandra Fabbri 54.02
2. Fiona Hardie 54.09
3. Dorothy Morgan 54.22

Villanova posted a 1-2 finish ahead of 3rd place finisher, Morgan of George town, all swimming under the NCAA ‘B-cut’ time of 54.49. Freshman Fabbri made an impression tonight at the her first collegiate conference championships, not only winning gold, but setting a new school record. Defending champion Hardie, improved her time from last year by a few split seconds but it still wasn’t enough for the win. 2015 2nd place finisher in this event, Mackenzie Niness finished 7th in 55.20, just shy of her personal best.

Men 100 Fly

1. Albert Hitt 48.50
2. John Hoin 48.95
3. David Rowe 49.50

None of last year’s top 3 finishers returned to the podium in this event, and the winning time was almost a second faster than that of last year. Xavier’s Hitt was out first at the 50, splitting in a time of 22.63, and coming home in 25.87. Villanova’s Hoin had a slower start to the race (23.20) and although his second 50 was faster than Hitt’s (25.75), it wasn’t enough to take him at the finish.

Women 200 Free

1. Kaisla Kollanus 1:47.12
2. Emily Mayo 1:48.75
3. Mary Snyder 1:49.23

Villanova posted another 1-2-3 sweep of the night, starting with defending champion Kollanus posting a NCAA ‘B-cut’ and fastest time by a Villanova swimmer for the 2015-16 season. Mayo posted another 2nd place finish for yet another year, in a time just shy of her best. Snyder moved up from a 5th place finish at the 2015 championships, posting a personal best time more than a second faster than what she did this time last year.

Men 200 Free

1. Noah Yanchullis 1:38.50
2. Chandler Hinson 1:39.15
3. Jacob Kohlhoff 1:39.77

At last yeas championships, Yanchullis was the only swimmer to break 1 minute 40 seconds in this event, this year, breaking 1 minute 40 seconds was what you had to do to get a spot on the podium. Yanchullis had a smart swim, splitting 23.21, 25.34, 25,12 and 24.83 by 50s, giving him a strong last 100 to finish more than half a second ahead of the field.

Women 100 Breast

1. Sydney Simpson 1:02.87
2. Molly Fitzpatrick 1:02.94
3. Megan Mallon 1:03.35

This event got significantly faster over the last year, as the 2015 championships winning time in this event was 1:04.45, posted my this years 2nd place finisher Fitzpatrick. Simpson, who finished 7th at last years championships in 1:05.50, made an impressive improvement, dominating the field at this years championships, dropping almost 3 seconds and winning the gold.

Men 100 Breast

1. Michael Pettinichi 55.38
2. Sean Sali 56.20
3. Zohar Suslovich 56.21

Not only did Xavier’s Pettinichi win the event in almost a second ahead of the field but he touched the pads in NCAA ‘B-cut’ time. Sophomores Sali and Suslovich of Seton Hall earned valuable points for their team after their 2nd and 3rd place finishes.

Women 100 Back

1. Darby Goodwin 53.84
2. Caroline Gaertner 55.27
3. Paxtyn Drew 55.41

Villanova took another first place finish of the night when Goodwin won the 100 back in dominating fashion, finishing in NCAA ‘B-cut’ and school record time. 2015 champion, Drew improved her victory time from last year by a few split seconds, but it still wasn’t enough for a first place finish this year.

Men 100 Back

1. Nathan Runyon 49.93
2. David Rowe 50.07
3. Albert Hitt 50.24

Last year only one swimmer went under the 50 second barrier in this event, and this year was the same, but all other swimmers in the A final this year finished in 50 seconds. Runyon of Xavier just out touched 2nd place finisher, Rowe of Seton Hall, after that it was a close race to the finish with 3rd place time being 50.24 and 8th place time being 50.87.

Women 3m Diving

1. Gabby Signorelli 544.05
2. Sarah Jaklitsch 445.60
3. Jenny Sullivan 434.05

Women 400 Medley Relay

1. Villanova 3:42.16
2. Georgetown 3:42.46
3. Xavier 3:48.11

Villanova’s team of Goodwin, Elise Pidutti, Fabbri and Kollanus touched the pads just ahead of Georgetown’s A team of Kathleen Duncalf (55.70), Fitzpatrick (1:02.72), Morgan (54.43) and Erica Fabbri (49.61) to win their 4th relay title of the meet.

Men 400 Medley Relay

1. Xavier 3:17.60
2. Seton Hall 3:19.55
3. Georgetown 3:21.43

The Xavier A team of Runyon (49.55), Pettinichi (55.52), Hitt (47.65) and Luke Johanns (44.88) clocked in almost 2 seconds ahead of 2nd place finishers Seton Hall, winning another relay title, making it the team’s 3rd for the meet.

WOMEN: TEAM RANKINGS THROUGH DAY 3

1. Georgetown University: 98
2. Providence College: 82
3. Seton Hall University: 80
4. Villanova University: 80
5. Xavier University: 66
6. Butler University: 56

MEN: TEAM RANKINGS THROUGH DAY 3

1. Villanova: 688
2. Georgetown University: 478
3. Xavier University: 348.5
4. Seton Hall University: 298.5
5. Providence College: 179
6. Butler University: 143