Archive for the ‘Swimming and Diving’ Category
The UMBC Sports Blog Awards
Fall Sports:
Men’s Soccer-
MVP: Andrew Bulls (8 goals, 2 assists)
Freshman of the Year: Andrew Bulls (8 goals,, 2 assists)
Women’s Soccer-
MVP: Morgan Warrington (5 Goals, 1 assist)
Freshman of the Year: Mo Van Vlerah (35 saves, 67.3%)
Volleyball-
MVP: Alyssa Lang (319 kills, 317 digs)
Freshman of the Year: Alyssa Lang (319 kills, 317 digs)
Men’s Cross Country-
MVP: Paul Zwama
Women’s Cross Country-
MVP: Sara Parkinson
Winter Sports:
Men’s Basketball-
MVP: Darryl Proctor (20.0ppg, 8.8rpg, 46.7 FG%)
Freshman of the Year: Chauncey Gilliam (10.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 51.4 FG%)
Women’s Basketball-
MVP: Carlee Cassidy (20.4ppg, 35.8 FG%, 32.1 3-pt%)
Freshman of the Year: Michelle Kurowski (13.7ppg, 4.6rpg, 40.6 FG%)
Men’s Swimming and Diving-
MVP: Justin Bronson
Women’s Swimming and Diving-
MVP: Samantha Maccherola
Men’s Indoor Track and Field-
MVP: Adrian Arthur
Women’s Track and Field-
MVP: Imani Colbert
Spring Sports:
Men’s Lacrosse-
MVP: Jeremy Blevins (151 saves, 54.5%)
Freshman of the Year: Rob Grimm (10 goals, 17 assists, 18 ground balls)
Women’s Lacrosse-
MVP: Kara Dorr (40 goals, 10 assists, 26 ground balls)
Freshman of the Year: Emily Coady (22 goals, 13 assists, 11 ground balls)
Baseball-
MVP: Shawn Retz (.380, 60 hits, 27 runs, .627 Slg%, 9 Home runs)
Freshman of the Year: Max Himmelstein (.303, 40 hits, 18 runs, .432 Slg%, 3 Home runs)
Softball-
MVP: Stephanie Weigman (2.20 ERA, 22-16, 245.0 Innings Pitched, 293 strikeouts)
Freshman of the Year: Keala Mason (.255, 13 hits, 5 runs, .353 SLG%, 1 HR)
Men’s Indoor Track and Field-
MVP: Victor Gilreath
Women’s Track and Field-
MVP: Britney Foreman
Men’s Tennis-
MVP: Fredi Voorman
Women’s Tennis-
MVP: Cornelia Carapcea
Final Awards
Men’s POY: Darryl Proctor
Women’s POY: Stephanie Weigman
Men’s ROY: Andrew Bulls
Women’s ROY: Michelle Kurowski
Men’s Swimming and Diving Wins 12th Straight Championship, Women Take Second
Mostly because of my time constraints with school write now I’m just linking you to UMBC’s website, but the short of it is the men’s team won their sixth straight America East Conference Championship with 900 points, beating Boston U by 27. Before coming into the America East UMBC won six straight titles, making their current streak 12.
The women did not repeat but came in second with 687 points, second to Boston U who won their first title in 14 years.
Swimming and Diving Saturday Update
John Mendenhall finished the 400 IM premils with a season best time of 4:07.49, only to be follpwed by Mat Carson recording a season best 4:03.44. That wasn’t enough to the swimmers as Dan Weston-Dawkes best that time 4:02.40 as all three will be in the finals tonight.
Other men’s action includes Brad Reitz, Matt Mattingly, Zach Vonder Haar, and P.J. Sterba all qualifying for the 100 fly finals. and Justin Bronson, eric Jones, Keilan Freeman, Sterba, and Ben Wolbert all qualifying for the finals in the 200 free.
Finally, Milos Djukic, Zach Vondeer Haar, Nour Saad, and Jason Mattingly will have the retrievers well represented in the finals as all four qualifies for the 100 backstroke.
On the women’s side Rebecca Godwin, Cassie Dobrzanski, and Laura Rogers will all compete in the finals of the women’s 400 IM.
Jennifer Esposito broke the UMBC record in the 100 fly with a time of 55.67. Lindsey Sherman and Daniele Surkovich will join her in the finals.
In the 200 free Sam Maccherola broke the UMBC and America East Championship record with a time of 1:48.51 and is the top qualifier in the finals. She will be joined by Sherman, Sarah Ryan, and Abbey McKenney.
In the 100 back Laura Tilman is the lone UMBC entrant in the finals.
Bronson and Reitz break records as Men’s Swimming and Diving Move Into Lead
I said last time don’t worry about men’s swimming and diving because Justin Bronson and Brad Reitz haven’t been let lose in their singles events yet, and boy was I right. Both guys broke records and were key contributors in the men’s team moving into first place.
Bronson broke is own 500 freestyle record in 4:24.91 and Reitz broke the record in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:48.67 and a first place finish. Matt Mattingly finished in second in the 200 IM just behind Reitz in 1:50.32.
those three performances (2 golds and a silver) moved the men’s team two points over Boston U for the lead with 295 points and two days to go.
The women’s team is still in third place with 214 points, 70 behind leader Boston U, but their is still plenty of time to get back in.
Sam Maccherola finished second in the 500 free (4:50.53-second fastest in school history) while Abbey McKenney finished third in the 50 free (23.76- third fastest in school history) to lead the women’s team.
At the end of the day the 200 yard freestyle relay teams took the pool and both finished in second. The womens team of Maccherola, Ashley Miller, Daniele Surkovich, and McKenney broke a school record with 1:34.80 while the men’s team of Eric Jones, Milos Djukic, Matt Mattingly and Jason Mattingly touched in a school record of 1:22.15, one-tenth of a second over the previous school record.
Four Records Get Broken On First day of Swimming and Diving America East Championships
It all started with a gold from the men’s 800 freestyle team consisting of Eric Jones, Evan Roseberry, Keilan Freeman, and Justin Bronson in record fashion, 6:39.18.
But the women’s 800 free style didn’t want to be showed up. Daniele Surkovich, Sarah Ryan, Abbey McKenney, and Sam Maccherola earned a silver with a school record 7:25.27, only behind Vermont’s conference record performance.
The other two record breaking performances were both bronze medals in the men’s and women’s 200 medley relay. Laura Tilman, Tereza Kaplanova, Lindsay Sherman, and Ashley Miller all finished in 1:46.07 and the men’s team of Sven Schneider, Matt Mattingly, Zach Vonder Haar, and Jason Mattingly finished in 1:31.31
the only other final of the night was the men’s 1-meter dive in which Matt Hamel places seventh and Daniel Grippi finished right behind him in eighth.
This leaves the men’s side in third place with 101 points (30 behind leading Boston U), while Women’s is tied for third with 66 (just four behind leader Vermont).
The championship meet is long, four days to be exact, so don’t worry that UMBC is not in first right now and may have their streak broken. We’ve yet to have the finals for our best events in which its very possible that Justin Bronson and Brad Reitz could go one-two in each the free and fly while Tereza Kaplanova and Lindsey Sherman have yet to be let loose for the women
Justin Bronson named Swimming’s Athlete of the Week
For the third time this season Justin Bronson had walked away with the athlete of the week award. Bronson had a great weekend at William and Mary with a season high four wins in the 173-123 win. Bronson won the 100 free (46.77), 200 free (1:42.03), and 500 free (4:41.83). Bronson currently has the fastest times in the America East in those three events. Bronson also won the 100 fly (49.51) last week.
The Sunday Rant
Not quite sure what to say in my rant. I’m still sick about the super bowl but I’m going to use this rant to talk about Swimming and Diving once again. Last week I used it to talk about Justin Bronson but this time I want to use it to talk about just how good the Swimming and Diving team is. Record wise they don’t look good but they had a very tough schedule to get them ready for the conference championships coming up this weekend. The men’s team is going for their 12 straight league title (6th straight conference title) and the women’s will be going for their second straight conference championship. The past two seasons both the men’s and the women’s teams have won the championships and will be looking to threepeat this weekend.
Swimming and Diving vs. William and Mary: Men’s win 173-123, Women lose 181-115
It was another great outing for Justin Bronson who has just been absolutely magnificent this year. He won four golds at William and Mary, the most he’s had in one meet all season. He took the 100 free, 200 free, and 500 free while being apart of the 400 free relay team consisting of Eric Jones, Bronson, Zachary Vonder Haar, and Jason Mattingly.
Mattingly also took gold in the 50 free with a time of 21.75.
Brad Reitz followed Bronson’s four gold with three of his own. He took the 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 individual medley in a time of 1:56.39.
Other winners on the men’s side were Evan Roseberry in the 1,000 free and Nour Saad in the 200 back.
Now the women’s side only had two winners. Jennifer Esposito won the 200 fly in 2:06.97 and Tereza Kaplanova won the 200 breast in 2:25.49.
UMBC is just 12 days away from the start of the 2009 America East Swimming and Diving Championship that both teams have had great success in.
The Sunday Rant
Justin Bronson - Courtesy UMBC's Athletic Site
I never seem to give Swimming and Diving enough coverage, in particularly Justin Bronson. He’s only been the athlete of the week once and with what Jay Greene and Carlee Cassidy did this week I just couldn’t put him in that slot. This season Bronson has been unbelievable in the pool. In nine meets Bronson has won 23 events and has broken two school records individually and was a part of the record breaking 800 free relay team.
Bronson was given a try out for the Canadian Olympic team last year and did not make it but I’d like to bet that he’s Olympic caliber right now. He’s somehow managed to improve over last year.
Seniors Go Out On Top On Senior Day In The Pool
Nine seniors were sent home with a 162-127 (Men’s) and 169-120 (Women’s) romping of Marist. Even Roseberry, Justin Bronson, Milos Djukic, Christina Ng, Freddie Reitz, Sven Schneider, P.J. Sterba, Daniele Surkovich, and Joy Wilde all swam in their final regular season meets in UMBC Natatorium
Oddly enough though only two seniors left the day with individual wins. Bronson won three events, 100 fly (51.78), 200 free (1:42.19), and the 200 free relay team also including Zachary Vonder Haar, Eric Jones, and Jason Mattingly.
Evan Rosenberry was the other senior to win as he took the 1,000 free (9:47.02).
Elsewhere on the men’s side Jones also won the 50 and 100 freestyles. Mattingly took the 100 breast. Nour Saad swept the 100 and 200 backstrokes. John Mendehall too the 200 breasts. Brad Reitz helped his older brother go off with a win by taking both the 200 fly and the 200 individual medley.
On the Women’s side of things Sam Maccherola took three golds in the 200 and 500 meter freestyles and was lead off on the 200 free relay team also including Erin Wohlers, Abbey McKenney, and Ashley Miller.
Wohlers also won the 50 and 100 freestyles. Tereza Kaplanova continued her great season with wins in the 100 back, 200 breast, and the 200 individual medley. Lindsey Sherman took the 100 fly. Gaby Johnson too the 100 breast and Laura Tilman took the 200 back.
