By Ryan Gibbons, Swimming World College Intern.
The 2019 Big East Championships closed out night 3 in East Meadow, N.Y., featuring the 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 3M Diving, and 400 Medley Relay — a wide-ranging yet exciting event schedule.
Villanova’s women built on their night 2 lead, extending to 671.5 points over Xavier’s 449. Impressive finishes in the 400 IM and 200 Free, combined with a series of individual event wins and a relay victory, threw the Wildcat women ahead, giving them a strong lead going into the final day. Following the two are Georgetown (390.5), Seton Hall (293), Butler (159), and Providence (156).
While Georgetown’s men kept their lead, the Xavier team pulled close, with 500.5 points to Georgetown’s 522. The close fight is sure to make an exciting final day, with either team having a strong shot at the Big East title. Seton Hall’s 451 points fall a bit behind the two leaders, but with a large event schedule planned for Saturday, a series of strong showings could make them a contender to watch. Villanova (434.5) and Providence (179) currently sit in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Women’s 400 IM
Villanova kicked off the night with a 1-2-4 finish in the 400 IM, with Kelly Montesi taking the win in a 4:10.25. Following her was teammate Elise Pidutti (4:15.99), with Seton Hall’s Elizabeth Sargent taking third (4:24.54).
Villanova’s Emily Provenzo (4:25.35) finished out the Wildcat’s 1-2-4, followed by Xavier teammates Taylor Hogan (4:25.75) and Alison Herman (4:27.57). Georgetown’s Lauren Henasey (4:28.57) and Xavier’s Emma Kauffeld (4:30.47) closed out the event’s top eight.
Event 15 Women 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Montesi, Kelly M 18 Villanova 4:14.36 4:10.25
2 Pidutti, Elise D 22 Villanova 4:22.37 4:15.99
3 Sargent, Elizabeth H 20 Seton Hall 4:27.55 4:24.54
4 Provenzo, Emily S 19 Villanova 4:26.08 4:25.35
5 Hogan, Taylor E 19 Xavier 4:25.86 4:25.75
6 Herman, Alison R 19 Xavier 4:29.27 4:27.57
7 Henasey, Lauren C 20 Georgetown 4:29.55 4:28.57
8 Kauffeld, Emma C 19 Xavier 4:30.31 4:30.47
Men’s 400 IM
The ‘Nova Wildcats took another IM win, this time in the men’s pool, with Justin Cucchi winning in a 3:52.98. The podium spots were rounded out by Brett Sherman of Georgetown (3:54.06) and Lior Grubert of Seton Hall (3:57.64).
Justin Viotto of Providence (3:58.09), Carlson Temple of Georgetown (3:58.61), Cameron Weese of Xavier (3:59.61), and Seton Hall teammates Caleb Smith (4:01.44) and Ivan Michalovic (4:02.03) made up the remainder of the event in a final featuring all five competing teams in the men’s meet.
Event 16 Men 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Cucchi, Justin M 20 Villanova 3:54.54 3:52.98
2 Sherman, Brett M 19 Georgetown 3:56.51 3:54.06
3 Grubert, Lior 25 Seton Hall 3:58.29 3:57.64
4 Viotto, Justin A 19 Providence 4:01.19 3:58.09
5 Temple, Carlson D 19 Georgetown 3:57.90 3:58.61
6 Weese, Cameron N 20 Xavier 3:59.19 3:59.61
7 Smith, Caleb B 18 Seton Hall 4:01.47 4:01.44
8 Michalovic, Ivan A 21 Seton Hall 4:00.07 4:02.03
Women’s 100 Fly
The first butterfly event of the meet, the women’s 100 fly featured another Wildcat win with Micaela Grassi of Villanova taking the race in a 54.49, just touching out Xavier’s Caroline Gaertner (54.51) in the closest finish yet this meet. Xavier’s Taylor Hogan took bronze with a 55.31.
Close behind were Georgetown’s Dorothy Morgan and Villanova’s Tarryn Els, tying for fourth at a 55.50. The remainder of the event was finished out by Georgetown’s Lauren Henasey (55.66), Xavier’s Anne Cummins (55.79), and Georgetown’s Gabriella Meringolo (56.31).
Event 17 Women 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Grassi, Micaela S 20 Villanova 55.54 54.49
2 Gaertner, Caroline F 22 Xavier 55.07 54.51
3 Hogan, Taylor E 19 Xavier 55.87 55.31
4 Morgan, Dorothy L 22 Georgetown 55.97 55.50
4 Els, Tarryn C 21 Villanova 55.53 55.50
6 Henasey, Lauren C 20 Georgetown 56.45 55.66
7 Cummins, Anne M 21 Xavier 56.64 55.79
8 Meringolo, Gabriella 19 Georgetown 56.54 56.31
Men’s 100 Fly
Seton Hall posted their first win of the evening with Liam Cosgrove‘s 48.41 taking first. Close behind was Villanova’s Stephen Krecsmar (48.79). Xavier followed with an incredibly close 3-4-5 finish, with David Bunnell (49.02), Brandon Abboud (49.06), and Charles Clark (49.07) all finishing within five one-hundredths of a second.
Villanova also took sixth and eigth, with Luke Sabal (49.58) and Jesse Marsh (50.16), respectively. Kyle Nash of Seton Hall finished seventh with a 49.76.
Event 18 Men 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Cosgrove, Liam R 20 Seton Hall 49.01 48.41
2 Krecsmar, Stephen A 21 Villanova 48.63 48.79
3 Bunnell, David T 22 Xavier 49.46 49.02
4 Abboud, Brandon A 21 Xavier 48.86 49.06
5 Clark, Charles L 21 Xavier 48.93 49.07
6 Sabal, Luke T 22 Villanova 49.49 49.58
7 Nash, Kyle C 21 Seton Hall 49.75 49.76
8 Marsh, Jesse A 18 Villanova 49.88 50.16
Women’s 200 Free
Villanova took a commanding 1-2-3-4-8 finish in the 200 Free, a major win for the Wildcats and a pillar of their growing lead. Alexandra Fabbri won in a 1:47.92, followed closely by teammate Millicent Routledge (1:47.97). Fellow Wildcats Taylor Wilson (1:48.28) and Nicole Welch (1:50.54) took third and fourth, respectively.
Close behind were Xavier teammates Emily Conners (1:50.68) and Emily Saugstad (1:50.69), with Seton Hall’s Courtney McCardle (1:51.35) taking seventh and Wildcat Andrea Fong (1:51.46) finishing as the fifth Villanova woman in the final.
Event 19 Women 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Fabbri, Alexandra M 22 Villanova 1:50.07 1:47.92
2 Routledge, Millicent 19 Villanova 1:49.18 1:47.97
3 Wilson, Taylor N 22 Villanova 1:49.22 1:48.28
4 Welch, Nicole E 18 Villanova 1:50.35 1:50.54
5 Conners, Emily A 21 Xavier 1:50.82 1:50.68
6 Saugstad, Emily M 21 Xavier 1:50.60 1:50.69
7 McCardle, Courtney N 21 Seton Hall 1:50.14 1:51.35
8 Fong, Andrea L 19 Villanova 1:51.47 1:51.46
Men’s 200 Free
Georgetown’s Jacob Kohlhoff took home the win with a 1:38.45, the first night 3 win for the Bulldogs. Following him were Seton Hall’s Benjamin Laclair (1:38.88) in second, and Georgetown’s Michael Wheeler (1:39.09) in third.
Also in the championship final were Xavier’s Benjamin Quon (1:39.55) and Jared Ritz (1:39.83), as well as Joseph Gibson of Seton Hall (1:40.53), Enrique Hernandez of Xavier (1:40.76), and Noah Chernik of Villanova (1:41.31).
Event 20 Men 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Kohlhoff, Jacob D 22 Georgetown 1:39.44 1:38.45
2 Laclair, Benjamin P 18 Seton Hall 1:39.35 1:38.88
3 Wheeler, Michael A 19 Georgetown 1:39.22 1:39.09
4 Quon, Benjamin B 18 Xavier 1:39.96 1:39.55
5 Ritz, Jared P 19 Xavier 1:39.49 1:39.83
6 Gibson, Joseph R 21 Seton Hall 1:40.12 1:40.53
7 Hernandez, Enrique 22 Xavier 1:41.05 1:40.76
8 Chernik, Noah 20 Villanova 1:41.38 1:41.31
Women’s 100 Breast
The first breaststroke event of the meet featured Villanova’s Rayann Jaryszak taking a significant win in a 1:02.75. Following her were Butler’s Emma Spotts (1:03.99) and Seton Hall’s Jordan Decker (1:04.42).
The remainder of the final featured Xavier’s Lydia Schaeffer (1:04.46), Villanova’s Samantha Cheruk (1:04.88), Georgetown’s Megan Smith (1:04.89), Xavier’s Rebecca Titterton (1:05.30), and Providence’s Abigail Czerniecki (1:05.90) – the first women’s heat featuring all six teams, a testament to the meet’s incredible breadth of performers.
Event 21 Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Jaryszak, Rayann M 19 Villanova 1:03.79 1:02.75
2 Spotts, Emma L 19 Butler 1:04.38 1:03.99
3 Decker, Jordan E 21 Seton Hall 1:04.87 1:04.42
4 Schaeffer, Lydia D 18 Xavier 1:04.85 1:04.46
5 Cheruk, Samantha M 21 Villanova 1:05.61 1:04.88
6 Smith, Megan E 19 Georgetown 1:04.67 1:04.89
7 Titterton, Rebecca M 22 Xavier 1:05.54 1:05.30
8 Czerniecki, Abigail E 22 Providence 1:05.53 1:05.90
Men’s 100 Breast
Xavier’s Matthew Dyer took the men’s breaststroke opener in a 54.29, crushing his prelims time of 55.65. Following him were Josh Tosoni of Seton Hall (54.95) and Nathaniel Goldfarb of Georgetown (55.06).
Behind Providence’s Ryan Trammell (55.84) were Georgetown teammates Matthew Szilagyi (56.57), Arthur Want (56.58), and Carlson Temple (56.90). Xavier’s Cameron Weese closed out the heat in a 56.94.
Event 22 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Dyer, Matthew S 22 Xavier 55.65 54.29
2 Tosoni, Josh R 20 Seton Hall 54.81 54.95
3 Goldfarb, Nathaniel D 20 Georgetown 55.21 55.06
4 Trammell, Ryan E 21 Providence 55.91 55.84
5 Szilagyi, Matthew S 20 Georgetown 56.39 56.57
6 Wang, Arthur Z 22 Georgetown 56.54 56.58
7 Temple, Carlson D 19 Georgetown 56.08 56.90
8 Weese, Cameron N 20 Xavier 56.51 56.94
Women’s 100 Back
The third stroke sprint of the night, the women’s 100 back belonged to Darby Goodwin of Villanova, touching in a 54.61. Close behind were Enlin Chen of Georgetown (55.05) and Xavier’s Caroline Gaertner (55.30), all three faster than their prelims times.
The backstroke was finished out by Ali Fort of Xavier (55.64), Julie Stankiewicz of Seton Hall (56.14), Eve Mauze of Georgetown (56.45), Laura Dicus of Xavier (56.64), and Gracie Wielar of Villanova (56.79).
Event 23 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Goodwin, Darby E 22 Villanova 54.98 54.61
2 Chen, Enlin 18 Georgetown 56.02 55.05
3 Gaertner, Caroline F 22 Xavier 55.66 55.30
4 Fort, Ali M 21 Xavier 55.37 55.64
5 Stankiewicz, Julie A 19 Seton Hall 55.99 56.14
6 Mauze, Eve E 19 Georgetown 56.67 56.45
7 Dicus, Laura A 21 Xavier 56.60 56.64
8 Wielar, Gracie E 18 Villanova 56.61 56.79
Men’s 100 Back
While Xavier’s impressive 2-3-5-6-7 placing in the men’s backstroke sprint caught eyes, Georgetown’s Andrew Carbone ultimately hit the wall first, touching in at a 48.27, just ahead of Xavier teammates Samuel Johanns (48.34) and Nathan Runyon (48.46).
Finishing fourth was Villanova’s Andrew Kelley (48.66), followed by Xavier teammates Alexander Sironen (48.69), Charles Clark (49.64), and Christian Thomas (49.71), with Seton Hall’s Christopher Tucker placing eighth with a 50.06.
Event 24 Men 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Carbone, Andrew M 19 Georgetown 48.22 48.27
2 Johanns, Samuel R 22 Xavier 48.59 48.34
3 Runyon, Nathan D 21 Xavier 48.27 48.46
4 Kelley, Andrew R 21 Villanova 48.64 48.66
5 Sironen, Alexander J 19 Xavier 49.06 48.69
6 Clark, Charles L 21 Xavier 49.85 49.64
7 Thomas, Christian A 19 Xavier 49.96 49.71
8 Tucker, Christopher W 22 Seton Hall 49.53 50.06
Men’s 3M Diving
In the night’s only diving event (and the second of the men’s meet), Michael Perra of Villanova took first with 617.70 points, followed by fellow Wildcat Michael Ackert (564.90). Georgetown’s Griffen Edmonds dove a 504.20 for bronze, followed closely by ‘Nova’s Joe Swindal (499.20). Georgetown teammates Ryan Blom (473.40) and Matthew Werner (443.95) took fifth and sixth, with Tim Lynch and Joseph Ianelli of Seton Hall finishing seventh and eighth with a 419.05 and a 396.50, respectively.
Event 26 Men 3 mtr Diving
==================================================================
Name Age School Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== Finals ===
1 Perra, Michael Villanova 305.40 617.70
2 Ackert, Michael Villanova 269.15 564.90
3 Edmonds, Griffen Georgetown 243.10 504.20
4 Swindal, Joe Villanova 240.40 499.20
5 Blom, Ryan Georgetown 238.55 473.40
6 Werner, Matthew Georgetown 216.60 443.95
7 Lynch, Tim Seton Hall 224.80 419.05
8 Ianelli, Joseph Seton Hall 189.15 396.50
Women’s 400 Medley Relay
Villanova’s women took another relay win this evening, with Darby Goodwin, Rayann Jaryszak, Kelly Montesi, and Taylor Wilson posting a 3:40.92. Following the Wildcats were Xavier’s Ali Fort, Lydia Schaeffer, Caroline Gaertner, and Emily Conners, touching in at a 3:45.34. (Splits were not accurately available due to errors on the posted results.)
Finishing out the women’s relay were Georgetown (3:48.17), Seton Hall (3:49.98), Butler (3:51.91), and Providence (3:53.18).
Event 27 Women 400 Yard Medley Relay
====================================================================
School Seed Finals
====================================================================
1 Villanova 'A' 3:40.90 3:40.92
1) Goodwin, Darby E 22 2) Jaryszak, Rayann M 19
3) Montesi, Kelly M 18 4) Wilson, Taylor N 22
2 Xavier 'A' 3:44.23 3:45.34
1) Fort, Ali M 21 2) Schaeffer, Lydia D 18
3) Gaertner, Caroline F 22 4) Conners, Emily A 21
3 Georgetown 'A' 3:49.74 3:48.17
1) Chen, Enlin 18 2) Smith, Megan E 19
3) Morgan, Dorothy L 22 4) Donohoe, Belinda J 20
4 Seton Hall 'A' 3:51.53 3:49.98
1) Stankiewicz, Julie A 19 2) Decker, Jordan E 21
3) Calocino, Jillian M 20 4) McCardle, Courtney N 21
5 Butler 'A' 3:52.80 3:51.91
1) Hanson, Megan M 19 2) Spotts, Emma L 19
3) Van Gheem, Annah R 19 4) Horton, Victoria L 21
6 Providence 'A' 3:58.16 3:53.18
1) McGlaughlin, Juliet E 21 2) Czerniecki, Abigail E 22
3) Thornton, Katherine R 19 4) Bankes, Jennifer P 18
Men’s 400 Medley Relay
Xavier’s medley team of Nathan Runyon (48.79), Matthew Dyer (53.74), Brandon Abboud (48.38), and Samuel Johanns (43.93) took a vast win over the rest of the pack, with Georgetown’s Andrew Carbone (47.87), Nathaniel Goldfarb (55.17), Justin Summers (49.41), and Jacob Kohlhoff (44.69) finishing second in 3:17.14. Dyer’s breast split, Abboud’s fly split, and Carbone’s back split were all faster than the winning times in the individual events (although Dyer and Carbone were both those individual winners as well).
Seton Hall’s 3:18.51, Villanova’s 3:19.30, and Providence’s 3:26.04 finished out the last heat of the night, closing out an incredibly fast finals session.
Event 28 Men 400 Yard Medley Relay
====================================================================
School Seed Finals
====================================================================
1 Xavier 'A' 3:21.71 3:14.84
1) Runyon, Nathan D 21 2) Dyer, Matthew S 22
3) Abboud, Brandon A 21 4) Johanns, Samuel R 22
2 Georgetown 'A' 3:21.51 3:17.14
1) Carbone, Andrew M 19 2) Goldfarb, Nathaniel D 20
3) Summers, Justin M 21 4) Kohlhoff, Jacob D 22
3 Seton Hall 'A' 3:22.21 3:18.51
1) Tucker, Christopher W 22 2) Tosoni, Josh R 20
3) Cosgrove, Liam R 20 4) Williams, Dakota F 21
4 Villanova 'A' 3:22.61 3:19.30
1) Kelley, Andrew R 21 2) Prikasky, Francis M 19
3) Sabal, Luke T 22 4) Cucchi, Justin M 20
5 Providence 'A' 3:27.20 3:26.04
1) McLaughlin, Mark W 19 2) Trammell, Ryan E 21
3) Ferrell, Andrew B 19 4) Brannigan, Patrick K 20
