SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's swimming and women's swimming and diving teams celebrated senior day with a pair of victories over Holy Cross on Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center Pool. The men won, 196.5-65.5, while the women cruised, 201-60.
Bryant was led by pool-record performances from senior Alex Kosenski (Lavallette, N.J.)and junior Casey Ostrander (Yarmouthport, Mass.). In the final home meet of his illustrious career, Kosenski set pool records in the 50 free and the 100 free with times of 21.41 and 46.96, respectively. He also added a victory in the 200 free and helped the 200 medley relay team to a first-place finish. Ostrander broke her own pool record in the 100 back, touching the wall in 57.20. She completed her afternoon with a victory in the 200 free and helped both the relay teams to first-place finishes.
On an afternoon in which the Bulldogs won all but three events, several Black and Gold swimmers earned multiple victories. Freshman Graham Beck (Danvers, Mass.) won the 1000 free, 500 free and the 50 breast, while Brianne Dwyer (Hicksville, N.Y.), Taylor DeBever(Denver, Colo.), Nicholas Karadimas (New Milford, Conn.), Cameron Hessler(Southbury, Conn.) and Molly Smith (Belmont, Mass.) all won two events. Dwyer swept the women's breast events, Hessler won both back events, Karadimas won both fly events and DeBever won the 50 and 100 free events.
Other top finishers for the Bulldogs included Mara Valenzuela (Bridgewater, N.J.), Kim Carballeira (East Setauket, N.Y.) and John Lawson (Bernardsville, N.J.). Valenzuela won the 50 back, Carballeira won the 500 free and Lawson claimed the 200 IM.
Prior to the meet, Bryant honored the eight seniors that were competing in the final home meet of their careers; Kosenski, Brendan Heller, Danny Conlin, Sean Martell, Konrad Lech,Tim McGrath, Amy D'Olympia and Abby Whittaker. D'Olympia helped the 200 free relay team to a victory and finished third in both the 50 and 100 free events. Heller finished fourth in the 500 free, Conlin swam season-best times in the 100 fly and 200 free, Lech finished second in the 100 breast and Whittaker was a member of the victorious 200 medley relay team and finished second in both the 50 fly and 200 IM.
The Bulldogs now have three weeks off to prepare for their postseason meets at the end of February. The men will be competing in the ECAC Champioships, while the women will look to capture a Northeast Conference championship. The men will compete from Feb. 24-26 in Annapolis, Md., and the women will compete from Feb. 22-25 in Cambridge, Mass.
