 "Photo: Courtesy of Tom Roberts")
For the second time this season, Delaware men’s and women’s swimming teams split a meet with Towson on Saturday. The men (9-2, 3-2 CAA) steamrolled the Tigers, 228 to 70, while the women (8-3, 2-3 CAA) fell in a close meet, 176 to 124.
Junior Craig Young had a phenomenal day, winning all three of his individual races and one relay.
Young placed first in the 100 backstroke in 52.11, the 200 backstroke in 1:52:44, and the 200 individual medley in 1:56.72. Both backstroke events were season best times.
He also teamed with Ross Buckwalter, Hans Gillan, and Grady Carter in the 200 freestyle relay to win the event in 1:34.08, nearly three seconds faster than the Tigers.
“We just had a training trip down in Florida, and [head coach John] Hayman set us up for a pretty good training week down there,” said Young. “And this training this past week set me up for a pretty good meet that we had today, so I think that was all toward my success.”
Gillan also won four events, including his two individual ones, and two relays. He swam season-best times in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly in 46:49, and 50:49, respectively.
“Considering we’re all beat up right now, I think we swam pretty well,” Gillan said. “I was happy personally with both my times. I just wanted to come out with a victory in both my races.”
Delaware had a four-way sweep in the 100 backstroke, and a three way sweep in the 200 backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and individual medley, as well was the 500 freestyle. Young said the team is very strong this season
“We have a very deep team,” said Young. “We have guys who have the potential to get in the top eight [at CAA’s].”
In addition, freshman Ryan Roberts won his two individual events, the 200 freestyle in 1:43.51 and the 500 freestyle in 4:42.52. Fellow freshman Ryan Speese won the 200 butterfly in 1:54:25, and junior captain Dom Pavlik finished first in the 200 breaststroke in 2:10:99. Matthew Ryan also captured first in the one meter dive.
“We were very fortunate to get some very fast kids coming in,” Hayman said of the freshman class. “And that’s what it takes now in this conference. You can’t develop kids. They have to come in with certain speed and then take it to the next level.”
The women fell to the Tigers, who have won the CAA Championship title two years in a row, after leading at the beginning of the meet. Sophomore Hannah Facchine won the 100 breaststroke in 1:06:03, as well as the 200 medley relay along with Courtney Raw, Elise Kanegawa, and MaryKathryn Harris in 1:48.28.
The other winners for the Delaware women included Raw, a freshman, in the 100 backstroke, and junior Cortney Barry in the 500 freestyle. Delaware also finished second in a number of close races, which Hayman said was disappointing.
“We’re both coming off of our training trip, so everybody’s a little beat up and trying to still swim fast, which we did” he said. “I can’t complain. But I don’t like losing five races by less than a second, and that makes the difference in a meet.”
Delaware swims in its final home meet of the season on Saturday against Drexel at 1 p.m.
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