Utica, NY – Competing in its third dual meet in four days, the Clarkson University Swim team cruised to a pair of victories against Utica College on Saturday afternoon, as the men coasted to a 163-112 victory and the women cruised to a 152-122 win.
The Golden Knights are now off until the New York State meet, held annually in Syracuse. The women will compete in mid-February, while the men’s meet will take place on the final weekend of next month.
In an effort to get more events into the dual meet, the races were somewhat stunted in comparison to many other meets. Still, the Knights were able to come through with numerous individual victories. Junior Stephanie Seward (Pembroke, NY) won the 50 backstroke (33.09) and 100 backstroke (1:09.10) and senior Amanda Bragan (Auburn, NY) claimed first in both the 50 breaststroke (35.63) and 100 breaststroke (1:16.17). Other individual winners on the women’s side were senior Laura Shaddak (Oswego, NY), who came in first in the 100 butterfly in 1:06.99, sophomore Emma Bonan (Queensbury, NY), who took first in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:58.32, and freshman Kimberlee Stillittano (Binghamton, NY), who got to the touchpad first in the 100 individual medley in 1:09.52. Clarkson also won the 200 medley relay thanks to Caitlin Joyce (Walden, NY), Bragan, Stillittano, and Bonan, who finished the race in 2:08.32.
On the men’s side, Clarkson swam several races purely as exhibitions due to its sizeable advantage on the scoresheet. Nevertheless, sophomore Mike Rowe (Glenville, NY) won three events, including the 50 backstroke (26.50), 100 backstroke (57.52) and 100 individual medley (59.16). Freshmen Sean Parnett (Clifton Park, NY) and Devin Hallam (Schenectady, NY) each won a pair of events, with Parnett taking the 50 freestyle (23.64) and 50 butterfly (26.41), and Hallam winning the 100 breaststroke (1:10.90) and 500 freestyle (5:17.33). Also claiming titles in the individual events were junior Brendan Hofler (Glen Gardner, NJ), who won the 200 freestyle in 1:54.65, junior Robert Stevens (Lakewood, NY), who won the 100 butterfly in 55.83, sophomore Nick Clemens (Lowville, NY), who finished first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.36, and freshman Paul Telesca (Liverpool, NY), who came in first in the 1000 freestyle distance event in a time of 11:14.32.
Clarkson also won both relay events as Rowe, Dan Mandle (Chelmsford, MA), Parnett, and Hallam finished the 200 medley relay in 1:49.61, and Stevens, Telesca, Aaron Kreher (Clarence, NY) and Mitchell Maciuba (Clarence, NY) paced the 200 freestyle field with a time of 1:33.35.