By Delaney Lanker, Swimming World College Intern
The Metropolitan Conference Championships concluded tonight at Rutger’s University. The finals of the men’s and women’s 1650 free, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breastroke, 200 butterfly and 400 free relay were swam. Rowan’s men’s team won the Championship title and LIU Post won for the women.
Annagrazia Bonsanti of Bridgeport took the gold in the women’s 1650 free with a 17:02.85. LIU Post came in second with Eline Swensen going a 17:33.45 and MSU’s Sydney Stein came in third place (17:59.59).
Bridgeport’s Klavio Meca won the men’s 1650 free with a 15:52.02. John Tepper from Rowan went a 16:04.42 for the silver and The College of NJ’s Logan Barnes took the bronze with a 16:08.57.
In the women’s 200 back, Seren Jones of LIU Post won the event with a 2:02.84. Jamie Taskin took silver with a 2:04.73 and Bridgeport’s’ Claudia Esteban came in with a 2:04.92 for the bronze.
Will Du Plessis from Bridgeport won the men’s 200 back, touching in at a 1:47.63. The College of New Jersey’s Alexander Skoog got second place with a 1:50.41 and Chris Kahl from the US Merchant Marine Academy went a 1:51.21 for third place tonight.
Bridgeport’s Yekaterina Gakhokidze went a 50.57 in the women’s 100 free for the gold. LIU Post’s Meghan Braizer came in second place with a 50.99 and her teammate, Laura Bendfeldt came in third place with a 51.58.
In the men’s 100 free, Jesse Novak form Rowan bested his morning swim and won with a 43.88. The College of New Jersey took second and third place on the podium. Scott Vitabile went a 45.74 for the silver and Joseph Dunn finished right behind with a 45.78 for third place.
LIU Post’s Caitlin Johnstone won the women’s 200 breast in the time of 2:22.19. Mount Saint Mary’s Marissa Catania took second place on the podium with a 2:23.84 and William Paterson’s Vera Blazevska came in for the bronze with a 2:24.00.
James Shangle from the College of NJ won the men’s 200 breast with a 2:01.21. Bridgeport’s Ivan Capan went a 2:01.92 for silver and US Merchant Marine Academy’s Stone Hewitt took the bronze with a 2:04.41.
Joyce Kwok of LIU Post, won the women’s 200 butterfly and bested her morning swim with a 2:00.42. Hunter’s Alexandra Rubiano finished second with a 2:12.29 and The College of NJ’s Debbie Meskin took third place (2:12.58).
Southern Connecticut’s Raymond Cswerko won the men’s 200 butterfly with a 1:49.86. Rowan’s Nick Marks went a 1:50.20 for silver and Southern Connecticut’s Dylan Swanepoel took third on the podium with a 1:53.00.
Bridgeport took the gold in the women’s 400 free relay. The team of Gakhokidze (51.83), Nina Stegu (51.83), Alja Tavcar (51.81) and Tatiana Shepel (50.44) went a 3:24.76 for the win. LIU Post touched second (3:25.22) with Bendfeldt (52.02), Jones (52.05), Kwok (50.63) and Brazier (50.52). The College of New Jersey came in third place (3:24.48) with Allison Huber (53.94), Emily Rothstein (54.08), Lauren Rothstein (53.39) and Brenna Strollo (53.07).
The College of NJ won the men’s 400 free relay in the time of 3:00.03 and the team of Ryan Gajdzisz (45.57), Dunn (44.74), Vitabile (44.61) and Jason Ivins (45.11). Rowan came in second place (3:02.02) with Novak (44.49), Tyler Coe (46.96), Nick Marks (45.58) and Eric Feuerstein (44.99). Bridgeport was a close third place touching in at a 3:02.13 with their team of Capan (45.58), Didac Matsuyama (44.92), Du Plessis (45.03) and Albert Alemany (46.60).
Full results available here
Women’s Team Scores
1.LIU Post 1116
2.The College of NJ 1090.6
3.Bridgeport 1041.5
4.Southern Connecticut 814
5.Montclair State University 581.5
6.Rowan University 565
7.Rampapo College of NJ 557.5
8.US Merchant Marine Academy 472
9.William Paterson University 383
10.Pace University 365
11.Mt. Saint Mary College 334
12.Hunter College 313
13.Queens College 271
14.Baruch College 176
15.Lehman College 151
16.Suny Maritime College 129
Men’s Team Scores
1.Rowan University 1426
2.The College of NJ 1325
3.Southern Connecticut 894
4.Bridegport 835
5.US Merchant Marine Academy 767
6.Moncalir State University 495
7.St. Francis College (NY) 489
8.Ramapo College of NJ 4441
9.Pace University 403
10.William Paterson University 296
11.College of Staten Island 253
12.Queens College 214
13.Lehman College 190
14.Baruch College 158
15.Suny Maritime College 155
16.Mt. Saint Mary College 147
