November 10, 2007

BRYANT MEN AND WOMEN SET 13 SCHOOL RECORDS IN PAIR OF SATURDAY WINS AT BENTLEY

WALTHAM, Mass. - Both the Bryant University men's and women's swim teams raced to victories over Northeast-10 Conference rival Bentley College Saturday afternoon on the road, marking the Bulldogs' first-ever win over the Falcons in program history. It was the first time the teams met in dual-meet format, and the win saw Bryant rewrite the record books: 13 new school records were set, five from the women and eight from the men. The men raced to a decisive 145-117 win over Bentley, while the Bulldog women edged the female Falcons, 134-128. The Bryant men are 4-0 on the 2007-08 season with the women at a perfect 6-0.

Bryant was led on the men's side by junior Tom Ferrigno (West Chester, Penn.), who won a trio of individual events - the 1000-yard freestyle (10:27.15), the 100-yard backstroke (55.11) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:01.14) - before swimming the first leg of the winning 400-yard freestyle relay. Ferrigno's two backstroke wins set new school records for the Bulldogs.

Freshman Steven Nguyen (San Jose, Calif.) chipped in a pair top times of his own and also pitched in on the win in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The rookie set three school records with first-place finishes in 500-yard freestyle (4:58.47 - smashing teammate Ferrigno's previous school record of 5:01.26) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:48.88 - breaking his own school-record time of 1:50.22), and a second-place time in the 100-yard IM (57.95).

Other record setters were James Newton (50-yard backstroke; 27.29), John Cieslewski (200-yard breaststroke; 2:25.31) and Matt Derwin (200-yard butterfly; 2:09.31).

For the women, it was again freshman Amy Howell (Clifton Park, NY) who had the biggest day for the Bulldogs. Howell swam to two wins - the 1000-yard freestyle (11:04.63) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:25.88) - and earned a pair of Bryant records for the win in the 1000-yard freestyle and a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly (2:18.25).

Also helping the team sneak past Bentley was sophomore Jess Looney (Goffstown, NH). Looney won the 100-yard IM (1:04.49), setting a new record, and the 200-yard backstroke (2:16.69).

Other record setters for the women were freshmen Jill Squillante (100-yard backstroke; 1:02.47) and Lisa Zanchi (100-yard breaststroke; 1:13.81).

The Bulldogs will next compete at home against Saint Rose at noon on Sat., Nov. 17.