By NICK CILIBERTO
STAFF WRITER
The Rams swim team completed the regular season last Wednesday, Feb. 6, with a home sweep of St. Francis (NY). The women defeated the Terriers by a margin of 142-55, and the men won by a score of 136-86. It was a bittersweet but much needed evening for the team, as they picked up crucial momentum going into the A-10 Championships but also said goodbye to their seniors.
The Rams had one of their most successful meets of the season — they finished first in all but one event, and five Rams won more than one event. Sophomore Zachary Jacobsen started the evening by winning the 1000 freestyle in 10:04.11 as well as the 100 backstroke in 55.14 seconds. Jacobsen, along with Will Thomann, Nick Belfanti and Shintaro Noguchi, was took the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:29.18.
Freshman Steve Sholdra finished off the season strong by winning the 100 butterfly in 53.06 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.47. Senior Kevin Wong won both diving competitions, scoring 246.60 on the one-meter board and 263.03 on the three-meter board in his farewell meet.
Michael Grimmett-Norris, Devon Morris, Noguchi and Kevin Kosciuk also joined the party, winning the 200 freestyle, 50 freestyle, 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle respectively. The men also won the 200 medley relay with a team of Morris, Thomas Yi, Pat Militti and Thomas Shetler.
The women also had a very successful evening with some promising performances. Freshman Megan Foster and sophomore Claire Parker each won two events. Foster took the 200 individual medley in 2:10.52 and the 100 freestyle in 54.70 seconds. Parker posted the top time in both diving competitions, scoring 188.63 on the one-meter board and 181.50 on the three-meter board.
Six Fordham women won an event on Wednesday. Megan Zarriello won the 200 freestyle in 1:56.66, while Megan Gray took the 50 freestyle in 25.02 seconds. Chandler Lulley won the 100 backstroke in 1:00.03. Miranda Morton also took home the 500 freestyle while Megan Gehrich won the 100 breaststroke. Senior Brienne Ryan won the final event of the evening and her home career, taking the 100 butterfly in 57.49 seconds.
The women did not back off in relay action, as the 200 medley relay of Maureen McKenna, Gehrich, Jordan Tomimatsu and Gray started the meet with a winning time of 1:53.49. The Rams’ all-senior relay of Alana Biagioli, Kellie Lyver, Ryan and Rachel Deputato finished off the event and their home careers by winning the 200 freestyle relay in 1:40.37.
The Fordham men had a good week out of the water as well, as junior Shintaro Noguchi won A-10 Co-Performer of the Week. This was the third consecutive week Noguchi would win an A-10 award, and the fourth time this season. This is the fifth Performer of the Week award Noguchi has earned in his college career.
The Rams finished the regular season with a record of 5-8 for the men and 10-4 for the women. They look to take the energy from their home sweep into the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships February 20-23 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
