Men's Swimming & Diving 11/17/2018 12:00:00 AM

Saint Michael's Swimming & Diving Teams Sweep to North Country Invitational Crowns

POTSDAM, N.Y. - The Saint Michael's College men's and women's swimming & diving teams both capped their first-semester slates by sewing up first place at the State University of New York at Potsdam's two-day, six-school North Country Invitational on Saturday in the Maxcy Hall Pool.

STANDINGS

The Purple Knight men totaled 479 points, holding off second-place SUNY Potsdam by 10 after entering the final event of the competition with a two-point edge. Saint Michael's took second at the meet the past three seasons and claimed its first crown this year.
The Purple and Gold women netted 507 points, besting second-place Clarkson University by 60 points after beginning the day only nine ahead of the Golden Knights. The Purple Knights won their fourth North Country Invitational in five years, and their third in a row.
Purple Knights' second consecutive weekend in Potsdam after competing at Clarkson last Saturday.
Final meet for Saint Michael's until January.

MEN'S MEET
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

Junior Connor Hopkins (Windham, N.H./Windham), 3 wins, 1 school record
- Passed the 50-win milestone for his career (52)
First-year William Sullivan (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell), 2 wins, 1 school record
Junior Aidan Mulderrig (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side), 1 win, 1 school record
Sophomore Payton Stewart (Keene, N.H./Keene), 1 win, 1 school record
First-year Sean McGurn (Braintree, Mass./Braintree), 1 win, 1 school record
Senior Pat Thornton (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence), 1 win

THE ACTION

After not entering any competitors in the final two individual events, Saint Michael's led just 447-445 over SUNY Potsdam heading into the last race of the weekend, the 400-yard freestyle relay. The Purple Knights clinched the invitational title when Hopkins, Mulderrig, Stewart and Sullivan won that event (3:13.78) by 5.47 seconds, in the process shattering a twice-set school record by 4.07 seconds.
Hopkins, McGurn, Sullivan and Thornton claimed the 200-yard medley relay (1:39.58), while Hopkins won the 100 free (47.70), followed by Stewart in third and Sullivan taking fourth.
McGurn set a school record in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:16.84), clipping the five-year-old standard by 1.28 seconds, while placing second in the race. Senior Seamus Butler (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) took sixth, coming within 0.40 seconds of the top five.
Mulderrig was second in the 400-yard individual medley and third during the 200-yard butterfly, with Thornton fourth in the latter. First-year Nate Imbergamo (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) placed second in the 1,650 free race.
Two relay foursomes placed fourth, in the process besting three schools' top quartets. Butler, Mulderrig, Stewart and sophomore Dan Fortier (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) sided in the 200 medley relay, coming within 0.54 seconds of third place, while Butler, Imbergamo, Thornton and first-year Myron Prograis (Etters, Pa./Cedar Cliff) combined during the 400 free relay.

WOMEN'S MEET
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

Senior Patty Kohn (Weston, Conn./Greenwich), 4 wins
- Passed the 80-win milestone for her career (82)
Junior Lauren Giampietro (Watertown, Conn./Watertown), 3 wins
- Passed the 50-win milestone for her career (51)
Junior Sarah White (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet Regional), 3 wins
Senior Tess Grimaldi (Higganum, Conn./Haddam-Killingworth), 2 wins

THE ACTION

Giampietro, Grimaldi, Kohn and White combined for a pair of relay triumphs, beginning the day by taking the 200 medley relay (1:55.19) by 0.30 seconds. They later won the 400 free relay (3:47.72).
Kohn was victorious individually during the 100 back (1:02.76) and 200 free (1:57.37). In the 100 back, she was followed by White in fourth and senior Meg Flanagan (Middletown, R.I./The Prout School/Boston College) in fifth. Sophomore Leah Benoit (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) trailed Flanagan by 0.21 seconds.
White won the 200 fly (2:20.81), and Giampietro captured the 200 breast (2:35.38), with sophomore Meg Geschwind (Rochester, Minn./Mayo) fifth. In the 400 IM, Giampietro was second and Geschwind third.
Grimaldi placed fourth during the 100 free, and junior Reiley Adelson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) claimed fourth in the 200 free.
Adelson, Benoit, Flanagan and senior Elizabeth Doherty (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) were fourth in the 400 free relay, besting two schools' A foursomes, while first-year Maggie King (Clinton, Conn./Mercy) was fifth in the one-meter dive.