Men's Swim & Dive Edged By Eastern Connecticut On Senior Night
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's swimming and diving team battled to the end on senior night but ultimately dropped a close one to intrastate foe, Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), 133-129, in a non-conference swim meet Friday evening. It was the first meet for the Blue Jays since December 4, and the squad came out ready to roll from the first horn. Both teams traded wins back and forth over the final handful of events, allowing the Warriors to maintain the slimmest of margins to spoil the senior festivities.
The action kicked off with a special senior night celebration, as four men's swimming seniors and two on the women's side were recognized for their years of effort both in and out of the pool, all while representing USJ and their program with integrity and class. Parents escorted the seniors as teammates cheered them on.
Senior captain Jacob Wyse (Broad Brook, Conn.) was the high-man for the Blue Jays with three wins in his individual events, including the 200-Yard Freestyle, 100 Backstroke and 200 IM. Wyse pulled away in all three events, with gaps of over two seconds each to pick up some valuable points. Wyse found his stride Friday just in time for the GNAC Championship meet next month.
Other key contributors included senior captain Brendan Lynch (Watertown, Conn.), who won a wire-to-wire 50 Back event that saw the Watertown native touch the wall in 29.05 seconds, less than half a second ahead of second place. Lynch put the work in during the 100 Free as well, finishing second in 53.31 seconds.
Junior Aaron Gauvin (Berlin, Conn.) supported his seniors every way he could, placing second and third in the 50 Free and 100 Free, the former was nearly a win, finishing less than a second behind first place. Senior captain Jack Monroe (Waterbury, Conn.) also did his part in the pool Friday night, claiming an all-important third-place swim in the 500 Free (6:17.84), right behind his sophomore teammate, Brandon Scacca (Rocky Hill, Conn.) who put in a respectable second in the event. Junior diver David Kavanaugh (West Hartford, Conn.) was efficient on the diving board as well, winning both diving events and scoring critical team points.
Senior Anthony Butler (Enfield, Conn.) would not be denied either in this one, leaving it all in the pool with a solid fifth-place swim in the 200 Free, as USJ took three of the top five spots to outscore Eastern in the event (13-5).
USJ won the final event, the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, but fell four points short in the overall standings, ending a valiant effort on senior night as they now turn their heads to the final events of the 2021-22 campaign.
COACH QUOTE [Brenda Straker] "A lot of emotion went into our final dual meet of the season. Our senior swimmers have shown a lot of resilience and leadership during their four years, celebrating their many accomplishments as well as staying focused during their disappointments over the past two seasons. The team is showing they are more unified than ever, and they are all looking forward to a successful GNAC Championship."
UP NEXT
The Blue Jays now have two weeks to prepare for the most important meeting of the season; the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships, held at the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Mass. The meet runs from February 4 to February 6. The Blue Jays have shown improvement in finishing position each season they have competed. Head to usjbluejays.com to catch all the action!
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