Archived Broadcast
KEENE, N.H. – Senior
Kiley Young won three individual events and was part of a winning relay while classmates
Logan Phillips and
Braeden Ledder each won two with Phillips also swimming a leg of a winning relay as the Keene State College swimming and diving teams each defeated Eastern Connecticut State University on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Spaulding Pool inside the KSC Recreation Center.
The Owl teams combined to win five of the final six events, including both 200 freestyle relays to close the meet, to edge out the Warriors – the women by a 149-141 score and the men by a 149-131 tally.
Young continued a strong season in her final home meet, winning the 100 backstroke in 1:01.04, the 200 backstroke in 2:14.53, and the 400 IM in 4:48.76 in convincing fashion, all well ahead of the next closest competitors including the 400 IM that she won by nearly 30 seconds.
Ledder took the men's 100 yard backstroke in 57.69, a little less than a second faster than his teammate
Jeremy Bartley, who finished in second in that event. Ledder also won the 200 back by over six seconds, beating out ECSU's Nathan Melia.
Phillips, one of 15 seniors honored prior to the meet, also had a strong day, nabbing a victory in the men's 50 freestyle by finishing in 22.96. KSC was 1-2-3 in that event, with
Aaron Turgeon finishing in 23.18 and Bartley in 23.67. Turgeon picked up the Owls' first event win on the day prior to that, taking the men's 200 yard freestyle in 1:51.56.
Natalie Donahue and
Cooper Niles took home victories on each diving board, with Donahue scoring 177.80 on the 1-meter and 181.65 on the 3-meter and Niles 152.50 on the 1-meter and 159.15 on the 3-meter.
KSC additionally swept the 100 backstroke, 50 freestyle, and 200 backstroke, with Jill O'Neil winning the 50 free in 27.03.
After Eastern Connecticut won both 200 medley relays to start the meet, and the first five events overall, the Owls won both 200 free relays to conclude the meet, as Phillips, Bartley,
Ben Stafford, and Turgeon won the men's in 1:31.18 and O'Neil,
Gina Nunziata,
Allie Stewart, and Young the women's in 1:44.89.
"I was really happy to see the team pull together at the back end of the meet to secure a win on both sides," said Keene State head coach Chris Woolridge. "We also had a huge contribution from our divers today, which helped to secure the meet. A big thank you and congratulations to our graduating seniors!"
In a ceremony before the meet, KSC honored 15 seniors for their contributions to the program:
Jeremy Bartley,
Samantha Blair,
Kacie Blanchet,
Amanda Davies,
Natalie Donahue,
Samuel Galipeau,
Caden Hedquist,
Sterling Kloberdans,
Braeden Ledder,
Alice Loucraft, Jill O'Neil,
Logan Phillips,
Ben Stafford,
Ben Szum, and
Kiley Young.
The women have now won all 19 meetings against Eastern, and the men three of four (rebounding from a 136-126 defeat at ECSU last year).
The Warriors got multiple individual wins from Connor Rego (men's 200 butterfly, men's 100 butterfly, men's 400 IM). Ava Wheeler (women's 1,000 freestyle, women's 500 freestyle), Joe Sylvester (men's 1,000 freestyle, men's 500 freestyle), Maya Brody (women's 200 freestyle, women's 100 freestyle), Tasha Frisch (women's 100 breaststroke, women's 200 breaststroke), and Lindsay Weaver (women's 200 butterfly, women's 100 butterfly).
Keene State swims against Brandeis University and Bridgewater State University next Saturday (January 20) in a double-dual meet in Waltham at 12:00 p.m.
