Wellesley Swimming & Diving Cruises to Win at Clark

Wellesley Swimming & Diving Cruises to Win at Clark

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Wellesley College swimming and diving team opened the 2013-14 dual meet season with a convincing 169-120 victory on the road at Clark University on Saturday afternoon.

The Blue won 13 of 16 events contested, led by first-year Sarah May, who played a part in four victories for Wellesley, and classmate Leah Furman who notched a pair of individual wins. May recorded individual wins in the 200-fly (2:10.77) and in the 100-fly (59.15) while swimming as part of two winning relay teams. Furman recorded her wins in the 200-free (2:00.89) and in the 500-free (5:17.89).

Wellesley placed first and second in both of the relay events contested today. In the 200-yard medley relay, May teamed up with seniors Emma Mrkonic, Lindsey Shepardson, and Keelin Nave, to record the victory. The foursome touched the wall in a time of 1:54.30. In the other relay event, the 200-free relay, May teamed up with senior Gabriela Kovacikova, sophomore Suman Kumar, and junior Tiffany Chen, to record a winning time of 1:45.74.

Finishing second in the 200-medley relay were Kovacikova, sophomores Charlotte Harris and Theresa Mitchell, and Furman. The team touched the wall in a time of 1:55.68. Finishing second in the 200-free relay, were first-year Sharon Wu, seniors Erin Pomeroy and Anne Hamilton, and sophomore Erin Yang.

After May and Furman, other individual winners for Wellesley included Wu, Kumar, Ren, Nave, Mrkonic, Harris, and sophomore Ieva Galinyte. Wu won the 100-back (1:01.75), while Kumar took the 100-breast (1:14.62). Ren touched first in the 50-free (25.35), while Nave won the 100-free (53.77). Mrkonic got her win in the 200-back (2:14.92), while Harris swam away with the 200-breast (2:36.69). Galinyte wrapped up the individual winners by taking the 400-IM in a time of 4:52.58.

As a team, Wellesley also recorded 11 second place finishes in the individual events. Diver Gabby Cooper-Vespa performed well coming back from an injury, placing second on both boards. On the 1-meter, she recorded a total of 215.55, just 15 points behind first, while on the 3-meter, she scored a 202.80.

Elsewhere, Chen, Shepardson, Galinyte, Kovacikova, Kumar, Harris, Ren, Nave, and junior Grace Bachman all recorded second place finish in swimming events. Chen took second in the 100-back (1:03.54), while Shepardson finished second in the 100-breast (1:15.22). Galinyte finished the 100-free in 55.98, while Kovacikova swam a 2:16.88 in the 200-back.

Kumar notched her second place in the 200-breast (2:43.43), while in the 200-free it was Harris who took second in 2:03.27. Rounding out the top-two finishers for Wellesley, Bachman swam an 11:37.54 in the 1,000, Ren swam a 59.54 in the 100-fly, and Nave touched the wall in 2:14.25 swimming the 200-fly.

Wellesley swimming and diving returns to the pool on Saturday, traveling to Simmons College for a 1:00pm dual meet.