RESULTS
BRISTOL, R.I. - The Norwich University men's and women's swimming & diving teams kicked off the 2023-24 season in stellar fashion, as both teams placed second at the Roger Williams University Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
The Norwich men finished second out of five teams, trailing just the host Hawks with 293 points, while the Norwich women likewise checked in at second among seven participating programs with 160 points, also behind the hosts.
"It is outstanding to be back racing again," said Head Coach
Jennifer Cournoyer. "We have been putting in some intense training. It was a great competition that allowed us many swims and was a great chance to evaluate things."
Norwich opened strong in a pair of 200 medley relay showings, as the women's A team, comprised of
Kaylin Creel (Huntersville, N.C.),
Abbey Houghton (Dover, N.H.),
Jenna Tschida (Goffstown, N.H.), and
Hannah Shaner (Gilbertsville, Pa.) claimed fourth. The men's A team followed with a second place finish, just seconds behind Roger Williams, with strong efforts from
Tobias Macedo (Kennebunk, Maine),
Will Thompson (Downington, Pa.),
Nikita Ponomarenko (Mariupol, Ukraine), and
Michael Cowenhoven (Fairfield, Conn.).
The subsequent individual events proved successful for Norwich, as Tschida took third in the 200 freestyle before
Benjamin Stark (Montverde, Fla.) broke a six-year old meet record in the same event on the men's side, posting a 1:48.17 effort to top the previous mark by .19. Both teams had similar placings for the 200 IM, as Shaner rounded out the top five in women's action while
Martin Adlianitski (Cheshire, Conn.) took the top spot among men's swimmers.
Both
Alannah Kelliher (Middleboro, Mass.) and
Kristian Adlianitski (Cheshire, Conn.) posted sixth-place finishes in the 50 freestyle, and
Maria Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.) and Stark snagged fourth and second-place, respectively, in the 100 fly. The Cadets saw their next top-five placement come just a few events later in the 500 free, as
Anna Gosselin captured fourth place while Stark and
Martin Adlianitski were a one-two punch in men's action.
Returning to relay in the 200 free, Norwich's women's team of
Deanna Parot (San Diego, Calif.),
Angelina Kelliher (Weymouth, Mass.),
Alannah Kelliher, and Gosselin took second, while their male counterparts also finished in second, spearheaded by the group of Stark, Thompson, Cowenhoven, and
Martin Adlianitski. Adlianitski would follow up moments later with a second-place individual performance in the 100 back.
Abbey Houghton closed out the individual performances for the women with a top-10 showing in the 100 breaststroke, while Thompson broke a year-old meet record in the event behind a 1:00.36, .39 faster than the record.
The Cadets concluded the afternoon with second-place finishes in the 400 free relay, as Tschida, Gosselin, Piekarczyk, and Shaner paced the women's efforts, while Stark,
Kristian Adlianitski,
Logan Wineriter (Canterbury, N.H.), and
Martin Adlianitski participated for the men.
"I am proud of this team for stepping up and congratulations to
Will Thompson and
Benjamin Stark for breaking the meet records," Cournoyer said.
The meet saw several teams from New England participate, as the Cadets topped Maine Maritime Academy, Regis College, Rhode Island College, the University of Saint Joseph, and UMass Dartmouth on the afternoon.
LEADERS:
- 200 Yard Medley Relay
- 200 Yard Free
- 200 Yard IM
- 50 Yard Free
- 100 Yard Fly
- 100 Yard Free
- 500 Yard Free
- 200 Yard Free Relay
- 100 Yard Back
- 100 Yard Breast
- 400 Yard Free Relay
Norwich will see one of those institutions in the next outing, as the Cadets will hit the road and take on Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday, Nov. 4, with a 1:00 p.m. scheduled start in Castine, Maine. Norwich will then travel to Husson University on Sunday, Nov. 5, for an 11:00 a.m. duel.
