Swim & Dive Sinks Wagner On Senior Day

The Central Connecticut swimming and diving team took down the Wagner Seahawks 162-138 in a dual meet on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon in the Jack Suydam Natatorium. The Blue Devils recorded 16 top-two finishes on the day, including nine golds and also set two pool records. CCSU set pool records in the 200 yard medley relay, 200 yard breaststroke and in 3-meter diving.

The Blue Devils started the day by honoring their four members of the senior class who were swimming and diving for the final time at home.

Then, the Blue Devils won the 200-yard medley relay with a new pool record to start things off.  Senior Helene Neuhaus, freshman Maddy Garber, sophomore Sabree Thomas and sophomore Christine Rasile swam a time of 1:46.70 to earn 11 points for their team, and set the new pool standard. 

Wagner took the top two spots in the 1,000 yard freestyle.  Junior Selene Chilton came in third place with a time of 10:35.89 to pick up three points for her team. 

Freshman Lauren Czulewicz scored nine points with a first place finish in the 200 yard freestyle event with a time of 1:54.92.  Teammate Karen Novak, a senior, was third in the same event with a time of 1:58.32.

Neuhaus placed second in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 57.83.  Wagner's Anu Nihipali won the event in a pool record time of 55.91.  The Blue Devils also place third, Stephanie Czulewicz (1:00.15) and fourth, Maeve Awiszus (1:01.51) to pick up nine total points in the race.

Garber, a freshman who is having an outstanding season for the Blue Devils, won the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.99, over a second faster than the second place finisher.  Junior Alaina Papiro was third (1:07.59) and sophomore Lisa Ward (1:08.47) was fourth in the event.

Thomas finished second in the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 2:10.24, picking up four points. 

Christine Rasile won the 50 yard freestyle in a time of 24.63, just tenths of a second faster than her sister, Lauren Rasile (24.75) as both picked up a total of 13 points in the race. 

Central Kaitlyn Dwyer won the 3-meter diving event with a score of 264.75.  The school was a new pool record.  Junior Kaitlyn Beaver was fourth in the same event with a score of 216.98.

Christine Rasile won the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 53.22.  Lauren Czulewicz was second at 53.61, giving the Blue Devils 13 points.  Lauren Rasile finished fourth in 54.54.

Neuhaus was second in the 200 yard backstroke coming in at 2:04.20, just behind the winner, Nihipali for Wagner (2:04.02).  Stephanie Czulewicz was third at 2:09.18. 

Garber's stellar day continued with a pool record in the 200 yard breaststroke.  Her time of 2:20.57 was almost six seconds faster than the second place finisher. 

Awiszus finished second in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:16.18 while Novak was third in the same race with a time of 5:18.47.

Dwyer posted her second diving victory of the day with a score of 225.68 in the 1-meter event, edging Wagner's Erica Curry by .60 points to earn nine points for her team. 

Ward won the 400-yard  IM with a time of 4:42.01.  The Blue Devils then posted a win in the 400-yard freestyle relay with the team of Lauren Czulewicz, Neuhaus, Thomas and Christine Rasile and a time of 3:32.49.