Kosenski top dog, records keep falling
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Alex Kosenski (Lavalette, N.J.) took home the gold medal in the 100-yard freestyle with a school-record time of 45.58, as the Bryant University men's and women's swim teams enjoyed another stellar showing in the final day of the ECAC Championships Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pa.
A year ago, the Bryant women's team finished 12th overall with 119 points. This year, thanks to a remarkable overall performance by a number of swimmers, the Bulldogs jumped up to the seventh spot with 182 points.
The men's side also recorded an exceptional final day for the second-straight year. Bryant, who finished 12th in 2010 with 101 points, added 71 in this year's total (172) and finished ninth out of the 22-team field.
Kosenksi's gold was the second of the meet for the Bulldogs, as Casey Ostrander (Yarmouthport, Mass.) picked up a first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle. Ostrander would add two more incredible performances Sunday, first with her school-record time of 51.25 in the 100-yard freestyle competition. The mark was just 18 hundredths of a second off the lead but still good enough for a silver medal in the event.
The day started with exceptional performances from both the men's and women's squads in the 1650-yard freestyle event. Senior Steve Nguyen (San Jose, Calif.) wrapped up his career with a medal finish, after recording a time of 17:03.62 in the 1650.
Despite not placing, Kim Carballeira (East Setauket, N.Y.) and Corrin wolf (Hackettstown, N.J.) rounded out the 1650-yard freestyle field on the women's side, with times of 18:20.50 and 18:29.62, respectively.
Senior Matt Derwin (Cheshire, Conn.) put a cap on a remarkable career with a 22nd-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly event with a 1:58.99 mark. Derwin was joined by Abby Whittaker (Salisbury, Mass.) in the women's field as a competitor in the finals, with Whittaker missing a medal finish by mere 14 hundredths of a second. The Massachusetts native touched the wall in a school-record 2:11.21 and registered a 17th-place finish.
Sophomore Molly Smith (Belmont, Mass.) generated a solid outing for the second-straight day, garnering two points the 200-yard breastroke final. Smith, who placed ninth in the 400-yard IM on Saturday, placed 15th overall with a time of 2:27.19 Sunday.
The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Kaitlin Buckley (Duxbury, Mass.), Amy D'Olympia (Mattapoisett, Mass.), Taylor DeBever (Denver, Colo.) and Ostrander wrapped up the day for the women's side with an eighth-place time of 3:34.50, adding 22 points to the Bryant score.
The men were able to watch another school record fall, as the Bulldogs 400-yard freestyle relay team of Nicholas Karadimas(New Milford, Conn.), Alex Dropo (Sandwich, Mass.), Steve Sinclair (Middleton, Mass.) and Kosenski touched the wall seventh with a 3:08.00 mark.
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 39
1. New Hampshire, University of 611 2. Harvard University 609.5
3. Marist College Swimming/Diving 462 4. Central Connecticut State Univ 363
5. Rider University 341 6. Navy Women's Swimming & Diving 285.5
7. Bryant University 182 8. Iona College 144.5
9. Wagner College 137 10. Bucknell University Swim 134
11. Mount St. Mary's University 88.5 12. Columbia University 84
13. Niagara University 83 14. University OF Pittsburgh 69
15. Seton Hall University 51 16. United States Military Academy 50
17. Sacred Heart University 41 18. Saint Peters College 32
19. C.W. Post 25 20. West Virginia University 20
21. Drew University 2 22. Marywood University 1
22. Boston College 1
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 40
1. Naval Academy 765.5 2. Boston College 377
3. United States Military Academy 336.5 4. Rider University 324
5. Columbia University 308.5 6. Marist College Swimming/Diving 307.5
7. College of Staten Island 216 8. Bucknell University Swim 179
9. Bryant University 172 9. Saint Peters College 172
11. Iona College 129 12. University OF Pittsburgh 116.5
13. Niagara University 105 14. Manhattan College 83
15. Suny College at Old Westbury 37 16. Umbc Swimming & Diving 26
17. Stevens Institute of Technolog 25 18. West Virginia University 20
19. Seton Hall University 15 20. Univ. of Mass. Dartmouth 9.5
21. Cabrini College 8 22. Baruch College 6