The Drexel University men’s and women’s swimming and diving team took to the water in the in the Colonial Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships Feb. 22 through Feb. 25.
The women’s team placed fourth out of seven spots, and the men’s team placed second out of five. Participants from both teams had exceptional tournaments. Both Drexel and CAA records were broken by both sides and many medals were taken home as well.
The championships took place over the course of four days,. For its first-day performance the men’s squad took a silver medal in the 800-yard free relay. The team, comprised of Stathis Malamas, Patrick Cobb, Luke Hanner and Ivo Pejovic swam for a time of 6:32.72. The women’s 200-yard medley relay team, made up of Alexa Kutch, Rachel Bernhardt, April Forsthoffer and Claudia Duguay, took a gold medal after swimming an impressive 1:39.61.
The second, was an even more impressive day for both teams. The women’s swimming team took home a silver in the 200-yard free relay. A team of Kutch, Aubrey Murray, Duguay and Bernhardt swam a 1:32.91 to take the silver.
In the 50-yard free, Rachel Bernhardt took a bronze with a time of 23.21. In the men’s 200-yard free relay a team of Malamas, Jason Arthur, David Kneiss and Pejovic took a silver with a swim time of 1:21.41.
Arthur swam 1:45.92 in the 200-yard individual medley which earned him a gold. Anthony Musciano took home a silver medal in the 1-meter dive with a score of 295.75, and in the same dive Michael Binkauskas earned a bronze medal with score of 260.20.
On Feb. 24, the women’s team took home three more gold medals. Kutch swam a 53.25 in the 100-yard back to earn herself a gold. Bernhardt took gold in the 100-yard breast with a swim time of 1:00.37.
In the 400-yard medley relay Kutch, Bernhardt, April Forsthoffer, and Duguay took the gold with a time of 3:40.03. In the 1-meter dive Madison Kramer scored a 288.10 to earn herself a silver medal.
On the men’s side, Joseph Brown earned a gold medal in the 100-yard breast with a time of 55.10. Arthur, Joseph Brown, J.T. Lumpkin and Pejovic swam a 3:14.37 in the 400-yard medley, relay which earned them the gold. In the 100-yard fly Lumpkin swam a 48.48 to earn himself a silver, and in the 200-yard free Pejovic earned a silver medal with a time of 1:38.75.
Ralph Cannarozzi III took home a bronze in the 100-yard breast with a time of 55.69. Luke Hanner took a bronze in the 200 free, and Jason Arthur took a bronze in the 400 individual medley.
On the final day of competition the women’s team earned two more gold medals and one more bronze. Kutch swam a 1:55.12 in the 200-yard back to earn another gold. Rachel Bernhardt swam a 2:12.60 and earned herself another gold in the 200-yard breast.
In the 400-yard free relay Bernhardt, Emily Joyce, Kutch, and Duguay earned themselves a bronze medal with a time of 3:24.79. On the men’s side, Jason Arthur won a gold in the 200 back and teammate Joseph Brown won a gold in the 200-yard breast. In the 3-meter dive Anthony Musciano did a terrific job earning his gold medal with a score of 326.45.
Simon Carne earned the silver in the 3-meter dive with a score of 309.60. In the 400 free relay Malamas, Arthur, Hanner and Pejovic won a silver medal with a swim time of 2:58.00. Patrick Cobb battled through the 1650-yard free to earn himself a bronze medal with a time of 15:32.78.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams had a phenomenal championship. Combined, both teams were able to break 20 records.
The women’s swimming and diving team will be competing once more this season in the NCAA DI Women’s Swimming Championships. The NCAA Championship will take place in Indianapolis, March 15 through 18. The men’s season will end on their high note of placing second in the CAA championships with a plethora of medals and broken records.