Miami (OH) (Men)
Bulls Send Seniors Out With Sweeps of Miami, Bowling Green
1/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo men's and women's swimming and diving teams completed their home schedules on Saturday as the Bulls swept their Mid-American Conference opposition at Alumni Arena Natatorium. The UB men (5-0, 1-0 MAC) defeated Miami (OH), 165-127. The UB women (5-2, 1-2 MAC) knocked off Bowling Green, 146-123.
In the women's meet, senior Brynn Marecki swept the breaststroke races while freshman Melissa Trail won both backstroke events while the two also combined as part of a relay victory.
Marecki won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:03.95. Marecki chased down Bowling Green's Alexis Kain in the final five yards to touch the wall a tenth of a second ahead of her opponent. Marecki had an easier time in claiming the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:20.61, nearly a half-second ahead of the second-place finishing Kain.
Trail set season-best times in both of her backstroke victories. She began with a win in the 100-yard race in 58.88, shaving a half-second off her previous best. In the 200-yard backstroke, Trail finished in 2:07.23, cutting six-tenths of a second from her previous top time.
The pair also helped the Bulls to a season-best 1:44.81 in the 200-yard medley relay. Trail entered the water first followed by Marecki, Taylor Steffl and Mallory Morrell.
Brittney Kuras won the 100- and 200-yard freestyles. The sophomore took the 100-yard race in 51.17 and the 200-yard event in 1:52.97. Morrell won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.33 while Ava Giachino took the women's one-meter diving competition with 256.50 points.
The UB men saw four individuals, Colin McAllister, Matt Hogan, Josh Meints and Matt Schwippert, score double victories while Meints and Schwippert were also part of winning relay team.
McAllister set season-bests in the winning the distance freestyle races. He won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 9:41.66, nearly five seconds ahead of his win at Binghamton last week. The freshman then posted a 4:41.54 clocking in the 500-yard freestyle to shave more than a second from his previous best time in the event.
Hogan took the 100-yard freestyle in 46.22 and the 200-yard freestyle in 1:40.37. Meints swept the breaststroke races, winning in 57.39 for the 100-yard event and 2:07.24 for the 200-yard race. Schwippert claimed both backstrokes with a win in the 100-yard competition in 50.66 and the 200-yard event in 1:50.12.
Eric Culver scored a come from behind victory in the men's 200-yard butterfly. Culver fell behind Bowling Green's Michael Cavanaugh in the third of the four-lap race. The sophomore came back to claim the race as he passed Cavanaugh in the final stretch to touch the wall in a season-best 1:52.52, nearly a quarter-second ahead of his previous top mark.
Cory Zorsch won the men's 100-yard butterfly in 50.12 while Mike Dugan won the 50-yard freestyle in 20.95. The Bulls also claimed the 200-yard medley relay in 1:30.98 as the foursome included Phil Aronica, Meints, Schwippert and Dugan.
Head coach Andy Bashor said following the meet, "I'm very confident where we are in terms of training and our performances this week." He also was glad to score wins over conference opposition as the league championship meets approach. "It's always special against MAC opponents," he said.
The Bulls held their Senior Day activities prior to the beginning of the meet. Chris Berloth, Jared Heine, Colin Patrican and Curtis Williams were honored from the men's team while the women's team said goodbye to Keri Chandler, Marecki, Amanda Reall and Alie Schirmers. "These seniors have gone through a lot over the last four years," said Bashor.
The teams also held a "Hope Floats" fundraiser for the American Cancer Society raising $5,440 through raffles and the sale of "Hope Floats" cookies and T-shirts.
UB's women travel to Akron on Friday, January 27 for their next meet. The UB men are off until traveling to Penn State for February 4 encounter with the Nittany Lions.
