Swim & Dive Set To Host Bryant For Senior Day

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts swimming and diving hosts Bryant University on Saturday, January 6, for the final home meet of the season at the Joseph R. Rogers Jr., Pool. Diving events begin at 10 a.m. with swimming events starting at 1 p.m. UMass will honor 11 Minutemen and six Minutewomen for Senior Day prior to the start of swimming events.

Last Time Out
The Minutewomen finished competition in 2023 with a dual meet at Vermont on December 2, winning 186-114. UMass earned 13 first place finishes out of 23 top-three finishes on the day. Freshman Lindsay Burbage, senior Megan Mitchell and fifth-year student Summer Pierce took home two individual gold medals apiece, while two relay teams touched the wall first.

On the boards, sophomore Shreeya Sinha took first place in both the 1-meter (240.98) and 3-meter dive (285.30). Fellow classmate Salem Howes followed in second place in the both event, finishing with a score of 238.88 in the 1-meter and a total of 258.04 in the 3-meter.

School Records Set
Fifth-year student Summer Pierce achieved two individual school records this season, while helping two relay teams to new program records. She finished the 100 butterfly with a new record time of 53.77, before setting another school record in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:59.68 at the Terrier Invite (11/17-19). Pierce also aided the 400 medley relay team (3:43.71) and the 200 medley relay team (1:42.15) to new school record times at the same invite.

Sophomore Sammy Quigg set a new school record in the 100 freestyle, swimming a time of 44.02 at the Terrier Invitational (11/17-19). Fellow classmate Andrew Bell broke two school records in a dual meet against Boston University (11/4). In the 1-meter dive, he tallied a six-dive total of 385.43, while scoring a six-dive total of 397.28 in the 3-meter to rank first in school history.

Fast Freshmen
The freshmen on both squads have had impressive showings this season, garnering several season- and personal-bests. For the Minutewomen:

Diya Ackerman Vallala swam five season-bests and has five personal-bests on the season
- 100 freestyle (relay leadoff) – 53.35
- 1,650 freestyle – 18:14.68
- 100 breaststroke – 1:04.65
- 200 breaststroke – 2:21.04
- 200 individual medley – 2:05.57
Lindsay Burbage posted seven season-best times and one personal-best time this season
- 200 individual medley – 2:09.46
Beren Cakiroglu recorded seven personal-bests on the year
- 50 freestyle (relay leadoff) – 24.04
- 50 freestyle – 24.39
- 100 freestyle (relay leadoff) – 52.10
- 100 freestyle – 52.01
- 200 freestyle (relay leadoff) – 1:52.33
- 200 freestyle – 1:52.06
- 200 individual medley – 2:06.19

For the Minutemen:

Jude Boukarroum finished with six season-best times on the season, including a 16:53.74 qualifying mark in the 1650 freestyle for the CSCAA Championships in March 2024.
Aydin Erkan earned four season-best times and two personal-bests. He achieved a season-best time of 16:52.70 in the 1650 freestyle and his personal-best time helped Erkan qualify for the CSCAA Championships in March 2024.
- 100 butterfly – 51.20
- 200 butterfly – 1:49.88

Diving In
On the boards, sophomores Salem Howes and Shreeya Sinha have competed for the Minutewomen. Howes recorded personal-bests in the one-meter dive against Boston University with a score of 246.15, while scoring 231.45 in the three-meter dive against Yale. Sinha dove for the first time this season in the dual meet against Yale, scoring 169.43 in the one-meter dive and 174.53 in the three-meter dive.

For the Minutemen, Bell recorded qualifying scores for the NCAA Division I Men's Championships for March 2024, in both the one-meter and three-meter against Boston University in a dual meet. In the one-meter, he totaled a score of 385.43, while tallying a score of 397.28 in the three-meter, to claim first in both events and take the top spot in the all-time school/pool records. Zak Teffahi joined Bell on the boards, scoring season-bests of 186.08 in the one-meter and 192.90 in the three-meter dive.

Weekly Honors
The Minutewomen have had four members earn Atlantic 10 weekly awards this season, while one Minuteman has garnered a weekly honor.

Bri Williams

A-10 Women's co-Performer of the Week (10/10)

Beren Cakiroglu

A-10 Women's Rookie of the Week (10/10)

Lindsay Burbage

A-10 Women's Rookie of the Week (11/8)

Summer Pierce

A-10 Women's co-Performer of the Week (11/29)

Sammy Quigg

A-10 Men's Performer of the Week (11/29)

Next Up
Massachusetts returns to the pool on Friday, January 19, for the Tate Ramsden Invitational, in Hanover, New Hampshire at 5 p.m.

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Andrew Bell

Jude Boukarroum

Lindsay Burbage

Beren Cakiroglu

Aydin Erkan

Salem Howes

Megan Mitchell

Summer Pierce

Sammy Quigg

Shreeya Sinha

Zak Teffahi

Bri Williams

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics