The William & Mary men's & women's swim teams hit the road for the first time this weekend, traveling down to Greenville, N.C., to take on regional rival East Carolina. The Tribe and the Pirates will square off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Scouting the Tribe Men
W&M began the season in record-setting fashion last week, taking down Johns Hopkins 152-110 and setting nine pool- or dual-meet records in the process. Senior
Colin Wright (Williamsburg, Va.) was named the Colonial Athletic Association Swimmer of the Week after winning both of his individual events and swimming on both winning relays, earning at least a share of seven records himself. His classmate
Chris Balbo (Short Hills, N.J.) also won a pair of events, taking the 200 fly and the 500 free.
Scouting the Tribe Women
On the women's side, the meet with Johns Hopkins went right down to the very last event, before W&M fell 135-127. Junior
Megan Bull (Hillsborough, N.J.) won both of her individual events, the 200 and 500 free, in CAA-leading times, and was named the conference's Swimmer of the Week as a result. Sophomore
Missy Cundiff (Leesburg, Va.), senior
Norah Hunt (Stuarts Draft, Va.), and freshman
Annie Tuttle (Alexandria, Va.) all won events as well.
Scouting the Pirate Men
East Carolina is 1-1 on the season after starting with a pair of road matches, beating Old Dominion on Sept. 27 before falling at North Carolina last weekend. Lyubomir Epitropov was named the American Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week after sweeping the breaststroke events against the Tar Heels, and rookie Roy Romero was named the AAC Diver of the Week after winning the 1-meter and finishing second in the 3-meter versus UNC.
Scouting the Pirate Women
The ECU women are likewise 1-1 with a win over Old Dominion and loss to North Carolina. Adela Vavrinova has won the 200 IM in each meet, while also taking the 100 free against ODU. Mariana Vignoli won both the 500 and the 1000 free against ODU, and Lily West swept the breaststroke.
The Series
- This is the 34th meeting between ECU and W&M on the men's side, dating back to 1957. The Pirates lead the series 31-2, including a 136-126 win last fall in Williamsburg. The Tribe last won in 2015.
- On the women's side, East Carolina also won last year 136-126, to take a 36-5 lead in the series dating to the 1969-70 season. The Tribe's last win came in 1988.
Notes
- The freshman Tuttle won her first collegiate race last week, winning the 100 breast.
- After the first two weeks of the season, the W&M women lead the CAA list in seven events. That includes Cundiff in the 50 free, Bull in the 200 and the 500 free, Hunt in the 1,000 free, sophomore
Anna Kenna (Chantilly, Va.) in the 100 back, senior
Julia Bland (Sea Girt, N.J.) in the 200 IM, and the 200 free relay.
- On the men's side, W&M leads the conference in 11 events. Wright leads in the 50, 100, and 200 free, Balbo in the 500 free and the 200 fly, senior
Colin Demers (Virginia Beach, Va.) in the 100 back, junior
Jake Kealy (Wilton, Conn.) in the 200 back, senior
Jack Doherty (Middletown, Conn.) in the 100 fly, and senior
Ben Skopic (Marriottsville, Md.) in the 200 IM. The Tribe also leads in both the 200 free relay and the 200 medley relay.
- Five Tribe swimmers earned Olympic Trials qualifying marks over the summer. Wright is qualified in the 50m free and the 100m free, while his classmate Doherty is qualified in both the 50m free and the 100m fly. Senior
Ian Thompson (Alexandria, Va.) is qualified in the 50m free, and Skopic is qualified in the 200m IM. On the women's side, Cundiff picked up her first qualifying mark in the 50m free.
- Freshman
Conor Sokolowsky (Williamsburg, Va.) was elected President of the Freshman Class in a school-wide election at the start of October.
- W&M has broken nine records so far this season.
Pool:
Men's 50 free -
Colin Wright, 19.95 (10/5)
Men's 200 free -
Colin Wright, 1:40.61 (10/5)
Men's 200 free relay - C. Wright, I. Thompson, J. Doherty, G. Hertweck, 1:20.99 (10/5)
Men's 200 medley relay - C. Demers, D. McNulty, J. Doherty, C. Wright, 1:29.21 (10/5)
Dual Meet:
Men's 50 free -
Colin Wright, 19.95 (10/5)
Men's 100 fly -
Jack Doherty, 49.13 (10/5)
Men's 200 IM -
Ben Skopic, 1:51.15 (10/5)
Men's 200 free relay - C. Wright, I. Thompson, J. Doherty, G. Hertweck, 1:20.99 (10/5)
Men's 200 medley relay - C. Demers, D. McNulty, J. Doherty, C. Wright, 1:29.21 (10/5)
