RESULTS

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's and women's swimming & diving teams opened their seasons with a dominant showing in a dual meet with the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Goodyear Pool.

The Cadets topped the Blue Jays with a 182-59 win on the men's side, while earning a 182-62 victory in women's action.

The team of Angelina Kelliher (Weymouth, Mass.), Hannah Shaner (Gilbertsville, Penn.), Rebecca Klements (Dunbarton, N.H.), and Deanna Parot (San Diego, Calif.) kicked off the day with a win in the women 200-yard medley relay with a 2:05.66 time.  The men followed with a 1:42.09 final in the same relay, with a team comprised of Adrian Riendeau (Ridgecrest, Calif.), Michael Cowenhoven (Fairfield, Conn.), Nikita Ponamarenko (Mariupol, Ukraine), and Ben Stark (Montverde, Fla.).

Tess Whalen (Berryville, Va.) claimed the 1650-yard freestyle after posting a 21:18.16 final, while Martin Adlianitski (Chesire, Conn.) clocked in at 17:20.25 to take the crown on the men's side.

Shaner checked back in to take the 200-yard freestyle in 2:04.61, and Will Thompson (Downington, Penn.) saw action in the 200-yard freestyle to prove victorious behind a 1:57.12.  Parot and Riendeau would subsequently win the 100-yard backstrokes, with Parot coming in at 1:11.38 while Riendeau took the men's side at 58:15.

The onslaught continued for Norwich, as Whalen's 1:24.33 and Cowenhoven's 1:02.04 gave the Cadets a pair of wins in the 100-yard backstroke.  Klements was the lone swimmer in the 200-yard butterfly, while Stark took a 1:58.44 time to take the event in men's action.  Stark's time broke the pool record in Goodyear.

Jenna Tschida (Goffstown, N.H.) and Ponamarenko closed out the festivities with wins in the 50-yard freestyle with 27.43 and 23.43 times, respectively, before the diving team saw action.  Reilly Laitala (Sterling, Mass.) and Jack Brennan (Hopkinton, Mass.) gave Norwich victories in the one-meter diving five-voluntary, with 142.50 and 171.25 scores, respectively.

Klements' 1:00.01 and Riendeau's 51.23 led the Cadets to wins in the women's and men's 100-yard freestyle, before Kelliher's 2:31.65 and Adlianitski's 2:03.92 times strengthened Norwich's lead in wins in the 200-yard backstroke.

Whalen claimed the 200-yard breaststroke with a 3:03.78, before the Blue Jays finally took a first-place finish in an event when Michael Allo's 2:20.02 in the 200-yard breaststroke gave USJ some momentum.

Norwich's subsequent strong showings in the 500-yard freestyle helped widen the gap, as Shaner and Stark picked up a few more top-place positions.  Klements and Ponamarenko posted a pair of wins in the 100-yeard butterfly.

Laitala and Brennan returned for one-meter diving six-optional showings, with 185.75 and 253.35 scores.

Shaner and Stark took the final two individual events in the 400-yard IM, with Shaner tallying a 5:16.18 while Stark had a 4:29.47 finish.

A pair of wins in the 200-yard freestyle relays closed the afternoon, as Norwich's women's team of Parot, Kelliher, Aaliyah Preston (Graniteville, Vt.), and Alexis Magee (Norwell, Mass.) took a 1:57.71 time.  Adlianitski, Riendeau, Thompson, and Cowenhoven's 1:31.23 gave the men one more first-place finish.

Both the Norwich men's and women's swimming and diving teams will hit the road next weekend, traveling to Keene State College for an 11:00 a.m. dual meet.