USMMA And Scranton Maintain Slim Leads At Landmark Swimming & Diving Championships
SCRANTON, Pa. – A second day of competition at the Landmark Swimming & Diving Championships at the Marywood University Aquatics Center did not create much more separation as The University of Scranton women's team and the United States Merchant Marine Academy men's squad both maintained their slim leads.
With 14 of the 20 events complete, Scranton holds a slight 15-point edge over defending champions Susquehanna University. Last year after two days, Susquehanna was in front by 44 points. USMMA remained in third with 326.50 points, followed by The Catholic University of America in fourth with 285. Juniata College moved up one spot into fifth with 242, moving past host Marywood which sits in sixth with 203. Drew University collected 178 points through two days, good for seventh place, while Goucher College holds the eighth spot with 128.50.
In the men's meet, USMMA extended its lead to 34 over Scranton, but that is the slimmest margin the Mariners have enjoyed after two days in any of their four previous championships. Susquehanna is in third place with 425 points, followed by Catholic with 243. Goucher is 39 points back with 204 in fifth, Marywood has 191 points in sixth and Drew's 146 points has them in seventh place.
Day two saw swimmers collect two NCAA provisional qualifying times, six new Landmark records, and eight meet records. Scranton got the record breaking started for the women as they won the 200 medley relay to start the day. The quartet of Christine Gorge, Jenny Fitzmaurice, Carolyn Gillespie, and Jessica Merino set a new Landmark standard with a time of 1:49.72. Two members of that relay then added individual wins later in the night. Gillespie swam one of the NCAA provisional times, posting a mark of 57.68 that also was a new Landmark record to win the 100 butterfly. Gorge also added a win with her time of 1:01.80 in the 100 backstroke. And Colleen Barry matched her winning performance on the 1-meter board by capturing first in the 3-meter diving event with a score of 301.00.
Susquehanna had a relay win and an individual win as it tried to keep pace with the Royals. Dana Pontecorvo produced a winning time of 4:44.96 to win the 400 IM, and then joined Devin Lessard, Kate Mays and Lexi Cole to set a new Landmark record in winning the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 8:00.14.
Catholic's Joanna Ladas earned her second win of the meet and set a new Landmark record with a time of 1:55.95 to place first in the 200 freestyle. Emily Boyson of USMMA had the other win of the night as she swam 1:08.40 to claim first in the 100 breaststroke.
Like the Scranton women, the USMMA men earned one relay win and a pair of individual victories on day two. Kevin Lindgren swam an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 50.95 to win the 100 backstroke. The time was also a new Landmark record. Frank Vita added to his two relay wins from day one by placing first in a Landmark time of 51.24 in the 100 butterfly. And the Mariners then closed the evening with a win in the 800 free relay. The team of Josh McCormick, Thomas Stewart, Chris Scott and Blake Krell set a new meet record with a winning time of 7:01.83.
Scranton had three individual wins on the day as the team worked to stay in striking distance of the Mariners. Marc Dezii touched the wall first in the 200 freestyle in a meet-record time of 1:43.47. John Hughes collected a win in the 100 breaststroke by swimming 59.93. And Timothy McCormick earned his second diving win of the meet with a score of 364.40 to win the 3-meter event.
Susquehanna accounted for the other two victories on day two. Chadd Lee captured his second first-place finish of the competition by winning the 400 IM in a time of 4:12.31. He also opened the evening by joining Taylor Cole, Nick Boyle and Joshua Heller on the winning 200 medley relay team that swam a time of 1:35.53.
The Landmark Swimming & Diving Championships will conclude on Sunday with six events taking place to decide the Landmark champions. Prelims will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the finals following at 5 p.m.
