Massachusetts Swim & Dive Splits At Fordham

BRONX, N.Y. – The University of Massachusetts men's swimming and diving team defeated Fordham, 163-137, on Saturday afternoon at Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center, while the women's swimming and diving team fell 184.5-113.5 to the Rams.

Both the Minutewomen and Minutemen combined for 14 first-place finishes on the day, with the men's team earning 10 and the women's team tabbing four.

Women's Swimming & Diving
The Minutewomen totaled 19 top-three finishes on the day to go along, while collecting four gold medals.

Starting off the individual events in the 1,000 freestyle, freshman Flora Klimesch placed second with a time of 10:32.96. Junior Diya Ackerman-Vallala took the gold in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:55.79.

In the 100 backstroke, sophomore Maria Grishaeva swam a time of 58.09 to finish second in the event. Freshman Kate Baranova (1:05.23) and junior Lindsay Burbage (1:05.86) claimed first and second in the 100 breaststroke.

The 200 butterfly saw sophomore Hannah Schoenauer swim into second with a time of 2:10.26, as fellow classmate Karinne Everly followed in third with a time of 2:10.27. Sophomore Courtney Tedesco sat atop the podium in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.13.

Tedesco took second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.11, followed closely behind by Ackerman-Vallala in third with a time of 53.87. Klimesch earned a silver medal in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:10.66. Junior Sophie Porter was third in the event with a time of 2:15.59.

Grishaeva touched the wall first in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:20.87, while Burbage tied for second in the event with a time of 2:26.53. Junior Ece Yildirim finished the 500 freestyle in second with a time of 5:15.99, while Everly was second in the 100 butterfly with a time of 58.49.

Grishaeva earned her third top-three finish of the day, placing second in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:11.48.

In the relays, the 200 medley relay team of Grishaeva, Baranova, Everly and Tedesco combined for a time of 1:46.35 to take second. The 200 freestyle relay team of Burbage, Ackerman-Vallala, Everly and Tedesco swam a time of 1:38.53 to finish second.

Men's Swimming & Diving
The Minutemen tallied 25 top-three finishes, adding 10 gold medals on the day.

Junior Jude Boukarroum kicked off the individual events with a first-place finish in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:50.27, freshman Miles Smyczek followed behind in second with a time of 9:50.56. Sophomore Liam Rayson was second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:42.98.

Freshman Liam Hickey touched the wall first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.03, as sophomore Zach Szbao took second in the event with a time of 52.22. Freshman Hudson Bawduniak picked up the gold in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55.65, followed by fellow classmate Eli Panachyda in third with a time of 58.21.

In the 200 butterfly, junior Aydin Erkan claimed the gold with a time of 1:53.08, while sophomore Chase Keeler earned the silver with a time of 1:56.04. Senior Sammy Quigg sat atop the podium in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.09. Freshman Macek Vandermolen finished first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.46.

Hickey (1:51.19) and Keeler (1:52.68) placed first and second, respectively, in the 200 backstroke. Bawduniak garnered his second gold medal of the day in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:04.39. Freshman Chase Dai finished the event with a time of 2:08.83 to place second.

The 500 freestyle saw freshman Sota Kawahata place first with a time of 4:42.63, while Quigg took second with a time of 4:44.32. Erkan earned the bronze in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.47.

Sophomore Nate Derby closed out the individual events with a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:55.35.

During the relay events, the team of Brooks, Dai, Bawduniak and Quigg placed third with a time of 1:34.18 in the 200 medley relay. The 200 freestyle relay team of Vandermolen, Hickey, senior Aidan Shepston and Quigg took second with a combined time of 1:23.95.

On The Boards
The Minutewomen saw senior Salem Howes take fourth in the one-meter dive with a score of 245.18. Sophomore Danielle Guerin finished fourth in the three-meter dive with a six-dive total of 245.78.
For the Minutemen, sophomore Alex Kreidler secured first-place with a six-dive total of 335.33 in the one-meter dive. Freshman Carson Harrington finished second with a score of 317.78.

In the three-meter dive, Harrington was second with a total of 358.50, while Kreidler finished third with a score of 312.75.

Up Next
The Massachusetts diving team will head to Piscataway, New Jersey, for the Rutgers Platform Invitational on Saturday, February 7, at 11 a.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Diya Ackerman-Vallala

Kate Baranova

Hudson Bawduniak

Jude Boukarroum

Lindsay Burbage

Chase Dai

Nate Derby

Aydin Erkan

Karinne Everly

Maria Grishaeva

Danielle Guerin

Carson Harrington

Liam Hickey

Salem Howes

Sota Kawahata

Chase Keeler

Flora Klimesch

Alex Kreidler

Eli Panachyda

Sophie Porter

Sammy Quigg

Liam Rayson

Hannah Schoenauer

Aidan Shepston

Miles Smyczek

Courtney Tedesco

Macek Vandermolen

Ece Yildirim

University of Massachusets Athletics