The Massachusetts swimming and diving teams had very different results this weekend. The men’s team easily outpaced Yale on its way to a 177-118 victory while the women’s team fell to Northeastern, 160-129.
The men’s team impressed in the meet against Yale, which improved its record to 4-1. The Minutemen took the gold medal in the fist event of the day, as the 200-yard medley team of senior Max Butler, sophomore Peter Sacco, senior Chris Howard and senior Trevor Ziegler posted a new pool record of 1:32.49 on their way to victory. From there, UMass was on its way to success, as they won 12-of-16 events at the meet.
Freshman Derek Hursch led the way for the Minutemen against the Bulldogs. He set a new record at Joseph Rogers Pool on Saturday in the 200-yard freestyle, earning the victory in 1:40.69. He also took gold in the 400 IM and came in second behind junior teammate Joey Sbordon in the 500-yard freestyle.
Hursch’s successes this year have earned him four awards in the Atlantic 10 conference this season, but his one minute, 40.69 second finish marks the fastest he’s accomplished in collegiate competition.
Sbordon also had a strong meet against Yale. In addition to his victory in the 500-yard freestyle, he came in second in the 1000-yard freestyle and finished sixth in the 200-yard freestyle as well.
Junior Jason Cook and senior Adam Duffield continued their athletic leadership of the diving events as well. They finished first and second in both the one-meter and three-meter dives.
The Minutewomen couldn’t quite earn the victory on Saturday as they fell to 2-4 overall. The standout performer of the day was sophomore Molly Elkins as she dominated the diving events, earning the gold medal in the one-meter and three-meter dives. On the season, Elkins has earned six first-place finishes for the women’s team, three in the one-meter and three in the three-meter.
Sophomore Ingrid Woelfel and senior Tavis Potter were also important for the women’s squad. Woelfel finished first in the 100-yard IM and snatched a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke. Potter came in just behind Woelfel for a second-place finish in the 100-yard IM, earned a second-place mark in the 50-yard breaststroke and added a bronze in the 100 breaststroke as well.
The loss was the eighth-straight for Northeastern over the Minutewomen. The last time that UMass defeated the Huskies in women’s competition was in the 2000-01 season.
The UMass swimming and diving teams have a month off between this event and its next return to the pool. Both squads will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to take part in the Loyola Invitational on Jan. 8.
Ben Lambert can be reached at [email protected].
