The William & Mary men's and women's swimming teams are back in action this weekend, heading up to Towson, Md., to face the conference-rival Tigers. The four diving events (which W&M does not participate in) will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the swimming portion of the meet starting at 1 p.m.
Scouting the Tribe Women
W&M's women's team is 0-2 in the early going of the year after meets with powerful Johns Hopkins and East Carolina squads. Despite that record, the Tribe has had a number of strong individual performers so far, including sophomore
Missy Cundiff (Leesburg, Va.), who won the 50 free in both meets and leads the Colonial Athletic Association in that event. Junior
Megan Bull (Hillsborough, N.J.) has a team-best three individual victories on the young season, and leads the CAA in the 500 free while ranking second in the 200 free. W&M also leads the conference in the 400 free relay, after swimming 3:31.05 against East Carolina the last time out.
Scouting the Tribe Men
On the men's side, W&M is 1-1 with a win over Hopkins and a loss to East Carolina. Senior
Jack Doherty (Middletown, Conn.) was named the CAA Swimmer of the Week after the East Carolina meet thanks to his second dual-meet record in a row in the 100 fly, and leads the conference in that event (49.12) as well as on all three of the Tribe's relays (200 medley, 400 free, and 200 free). His classmate
Colin Wright (Williamsburg, Va.) is the CAA leader in each of the three sprint freestyles, the 50, 100, and the 200 free, and
Chris Balbo (Short Hills, N.J.) is the conference leader in the 500 free while ranking second in the 1,000 free. Two more seniors, doctoral student
Ben Skopic (Marriottsville, Md.) in the 200 IM and
Colin Demers (Virginia Beach, Va.) in the 100 back, both also lead the league in their events.
Scouting the Tigers Women
Towson's women's team has had a busy fall already, with a 3-3 record including wins over Johns Hopkins, George Washington, and Miami. The Tigers are led by Jacalyn Schoening, who ranks first in the CAA in both breaststrokes, and the team also boasts league-leaders in the 100 back, both butterfly events, and both medley relays as well.
Scouting the Tigers Men
Towson is also even on the year in men's swimming & diving, with a 2-2 record with wins over Hopkins and George Washington, and losses to Georgetown and Navy. Noah Diacumakos has the best time in the CAA so far this season in the 400 IM.
The Series
- Towson leads the series 12-11 on the women's side, after a win last year at Navy's pool. The two teams have split the last four meetings 2-2, alternating wins in that span, but W&M has finished ahead of Towson at the CAA Championships in each of those years.
- On the men's side, W&M leads the all-time series 20-7 and has won four in a row against the Tigers, but the last two meetings in Towson's home pool have both been close, a 20-point win for the Tribe in 2016-17 and a 16-point victory for the Tigers in 2014-15.
Notes
- 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.
- Two freshmen,
Annie Tuttle (Alexandria, Va.) in the 100 breast against Johns Hopkins and
Peyton Profitt (Richmond, Va.) in the 200 IM against East Carolina, have earned individual victories so far this season.
-
Colin Wright's three wins this season moves him past
Mike Lovett '00 into seventh in school history, now just 13 away from joining the top-five. Wright also moved up the career points ranking, surpassing the 1,000-point milestone to become just the seventh swimmer in school history to achieve that feat.
-
Chris Balbo also has three victories, becoming the seventh swimmer since 1990 to surpass 50 wins in his career. He now has 51 overall in his three-plus seasons.
-
Ben Skopic won his 30th career race against Johns Hopkins.
- W&M has broken 10 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), 49.12 (10/12)
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)
