Making a splash: Swimming and diving head into MAAC season

With less than a month before the MAAC Championships, the swimming and diving teams are performing as well as any other school in the conference.

The women’s team is 5-4, while the men’s team is 3-4. After a 40-day layoff, the Stags returned to action against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and swept the visiting Highlanders on Senior Day at the RecPlex on Saturday.

“The season has been excellent so far,” said Head Coach Bill Farley. “This has been a big turnaround year for us, as far as attitude and work habits.”

Sophomore Boris Romanovsky led the men’s side, which won 115-72. He broke a 13-year-old record in the 100 fly with a time of 1:00.72 and swam on the winning 200-meter medley relay team.

Seniors Sean McGonigle and Rob Devine went out on top, with McGonigle picking up two victories (100 free and 800 free), while Devine had a pair of second place finishes. Diver Taylor Stecko ’10 took both events on the boards.

The women’s team picked up a 139-31 victory, with senior Sarah Dent winning both the 200 IM and 100 back. Fellow senior Rachel Waldstein was also a double winner in her final home event, winning the 100 fly and swimming on the 200 medley relay. Senior Jennifer Silvia also ended her home career with a win on the boards, winning the 3-meter event.

Farley credited the senior class for helping the team turnaround this season.

“They are the heart and soul of the team,” Farley said. “They are a good group of kids and as a group they have provided great leadership in and out of the water.”

The women’s side has two more meets before the championships, against Manhattan and Loyola, while the men’s side swims against Loyola. The teams will be in the taper stage heading into the championships, a period when workload is reduced prior to an important competition.

“It is hard to predict how you will do when you are in the taper stage; some swim well. It is all about adapting to the taper,” said Farley. “We would like to swim well against Manhattan and especially against Loyola, since that will be the pool the tournament will be in.”