By JACKSON WANG
Sports Editor
This past week, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving team competed at the NE-10 championships in New Haven, Connecticut.
Both teams had stellar performances with 12 new Saint Rose records set and with 12 athletes earning 21 All-Conference awards.
The men’s team finished second out of seven team and the women finished third out of eight teams.
The Golden Knights had a strong start at day 1 of actions.
On the men’s side, the 400 yard medley relay team with senior Vadim Yafayev, sophomores Stephen Delarede, Kyle Wilson and senior Bryan Shaver won the event with a time of 3:29.93. The relay squad also took home first team All-Conference honors as well as setting a new school record.
In the 200 freestyle relay, freshmen Alexander Sedik, Delarede, Yafayev and Shaver finished second with a time of 1:26.33. The relay team missed first place by less than half a second.
Yafayev also defended his 200 individual medley championship from last year’s NE-10 championship while breaking his own conference record with a time of 1:52.86. This time earned him All-Conference honors and an NCAA Provisional Qualifying standard.
Wilson placed second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:39.82 earning him second team All-Conference honors and registering an NCAA Provisional Qualifying time.
Junior Ryan Butler earned All-Conference honors for the first time in his career finishing second in the 3-meter diving competition registering a personal best 298.65.
On the women’s side, the 200 free relay team consisting of freshman Kiersten Beckford, sophomore Erin Ludeke, junior Caitlin Brauer and senior Caitlin Peterson placed second with a time of 1:40.01.
Brauer also broke her own school record in the 200IM with a time of 2:05.47. Brauer took home second team honors and her time is an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark.
In her first NE-10 championship, Beckford broke the oldest Golden Knights in the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.02 in her preliminary heat.
In day 2 of actions, the success continues for the Golden Knights and old records continue to fall.
On the men’s side, Yafayev defended his title in the 400IM with a time of 4:00.48 earning him his third First Team recognition. Yafayev also broke his own NE-10 record set last season.
Wilson won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:42.88 earning him his third All-Conference recognition of the meet and being placed in the First Team in the 400 medley relay and the Second Team in the 500 freestyle.
In the 800 free relay, junior Joseph Krok, Shaver, Yafayev and Wilson clocked in at 7:04.99 placing them in second. Sophomore Stephen Delarede placed second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.31.
On the diving board, Butler continues to succeed with a score of 338.95 in the 1-meter diving competition earning him a spot on an All-Conference team.
On the women’s side, Brauer continued her success as she placed first in the 400IM with a time of 4:25.78 earning her First Team honors and an NCAA provisional qualifying time.
In the women’s 800-yard freestyle, the relay team of Brauer, junior Naomi Woodcock, Beckford and Peterson placed second with a time of 7:52.50, which was four seconds faster than the school record.
Woodcock set a new school record with a time of 1:04.82 in the 100 breaststrokes placing second. Beckford broke another school record finishing third in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:56.39.
In the last day of actions, the Golden Knights continued with their astonishing performance.
On the men’s side, Wilson continued his tremendous run placing second in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 16:24.83 earning NE-10 Second Team recognition and an NCAA provisional qualifying time.
Yafayev finished the 200 backstrokes with a time of 1:52.77 earning Second Team honors and an NCAA provisional qualifying time. Shaver received Second Team recognition in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.48.
In the men’s 400 freestyle relay, Freshman Alexander Sedik, Shaver, Krok and Wilson finished in a time of 3:10.95 placing second and taking home All-Conference honors.
On the women’s side, the Golden Knights dominated the 200 breaststrokes with three swimmers finishing in the top four. Brauer finished 1st with a time of 2:22.08, followed by Woodcoack with a time of 2:23.62, and senior Hilary Stanmeyer finishing 4th with a time of 2:24.36.
Peterson won the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 17:42.69 earning her All-Conference First Team honors.
In the 400 freestyle, Beckford, sophomore Erin Ludeke, Peterson and Brauer set a new school record finish 1st with a time of 3:36.44. Beckford also set a new school record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.45.
Next up for the Golden Knights will be the Metropolitan Conference Championships to be held February 17-19 on the campus of Rutgers University.
