Team Effort Sends Blue Swimming & Diving Past Simmons, 188-112
BOSTON — Wellesley College swimming & diving improved to 2-0 in dual meets with a 188-112 victory over Simmons University on Saturday at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium. The Blue captured 12 of 16 events, including both relays, in the victory.
Seven different swimmers won individual events for Wellesley on Saturday, including junior Hannah May (Cincinnati, Ohio), sophomore Jessica Wegner (Taipei, Taiwan), and first year Elizabeth Park (Dix Hills, N.Y.), who each won a pair of events for the Blue. Wegner and Park were also part of the Blue's winning 200 Medley Relay, teaming with Lydia Choi (Seoul, South Korea) and Shawyuan Hsu (Taipei, Taiwan) to finish with a time of 1:53.15.
May and senior Danielle Peterson (Livingston, N.J.) finished 1-2 in both the 100 and 200 Free. May captured the 100 in 55.01 and the 200 in 1:59.21. Peterson was second in 55.71 and 2:02.80. Peterson also helped lead the Blue to a winning time in the 400 Free Relay, teaming with Wegner, Choi, and Hsu for a mark of of 3:42.99.
Wegner was first in both the 100 Back and the 50 Free sprint, earning winning times of 1:01.56 and 25.67, respectively. In addition to helping the Blue to wins in both relays, Hsu and Choi also recorded individual victories. Hsu was the event winner in the 200 Back (2:15.70). Choi was the winner in the 100 Fly in 1:01.27.
Choi finished as the runner-up to teammate Maggie Haley (Shady Side, Md.) in the 200 Fly, posting a competitive time of 2:22.22 behind Haley's winning mark of 2:16.17. Sophomore Shelby Ripp (St. Louis, Mo.) rounded out the impressive slate of Wellesley performances with a victory in the 200 IM (2:20.97).
The reigning New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Swimmer of the Week, Park brought home event victories in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke for the second consecutive week. Park was first in the 100 Breast in 1:07.82 and the 200 Breast in 2:26.85.
Simmons senior Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) captured both the 1000 and 500 Free, while Simmons junior Sara Manjikian (Belmont, Mass.) was the event winner in both 1 and 3-Meter Diving. Manjikian's score of 250.30 set a new school record for Simmons.
Wellesley will take on Seven Sisters rival Mount Holyoke in a dual meet in two weeks, on Saturday, November 23, at 1:00 PM. Simmons will travel to UNE for a dual meet next Saturday, November 16, at 12:00 PM.