EVENT: Saint Peter's at Monmouth with Rider
WHEN: Tue, Jan. 26, 2016, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Richard E. Steadman Natatorium, West Long Branch, N.J.
opening dive... Saint Peter's dives into the 2016 portion of the schedule at Monmouth on Tuesday. Rider will also join the competition to bring the three Garden State schools together for the first time in the pool for the first hOURglass Rivalry showdown. The Hawks are in their first season as a swim program while the Peacocks will face the Broncs for the first time since 2013-14.
last time in the pool… Nicholas Riepe finished second in the 1650 free to pace the Saint Peter's swimming team in the final day of the H2ounds Invitational on Dec. 5. Both the men's and women's team fell to Loyola, Marist and Iona at the event. Riepe finished second in the 1650 free with a time of 16:00.10 and placed third in the 200 fly with a time of 1:56.38. Bence Greifenstein placed third in the 100 breast (58:41) and fourth in the 200 breast (2:10.28). Sean Dunne was sixth in the 100 breast (1:00.15) and eighth in the 400 IM (4:24.40). Thomas Calloni finished eighth in the 200 free (1:46.40) and Igal Oren placed seventh in the 100 free (48.30). On the women's side, Karen Castaneda posted a sixth-place standing in the 200 free (1:57.14).
last time against the broncs… Matea Samardzic and Rachel Wuko each won three individual events to help the Saint Peter's women's swimming & diving team tie Rider at 147-all in women's swimming and diving action on Jan. 18, 2014. The Broncs defeated the Peacocks men's swimming and diving team, 176-108. Samardzic and Wuko helped Saint Peter's win 11 of the 14 swimming events 11 of the 16 events on the day to earn the standstill. Samardzic won the 100 back (58.17), the 200 back (2:03.70) and the 200 IM (2:10.86) while Wuko took first in the 200 free (1:59.20), the 50 free (24.41) and the 100 free (53.28). The duo also helped the Peacocks start the day on the right foot with a win in the 200-medley relay. Samardzic swam the opening leg and was followed by Alexandra Sison, Cristina DeCisneros and Wuko to wrap up the win (1:49.99). Sison won the 100 breast (1:07.97) and 200 breast (2:27.25) and DeCisneros was second in the 100 fly (1:00.77). Anastasiia Mushtei won the 1000 free (10:36.31) and played second in the 500 free (5:15.85) while Marie Feneron placed first in the 200 fly (2:13.14) and third in both the 100 fly (1:01.30) and the 200 IM (2:13.31). Alma Lopez finished second in the 200 free (2:00.54) and third in the 500 free (5:22.13) while Christina Petrelis placed third in both the 1000 free (10:55.70) and the 200 fly (2:16.87). Saint Peter's wrapped up the day with a second-place standing in the 400-free relay (3:45.54) thanks the quartet of Michelle Corpuz, Lopez, Petrelis and Feneron. It was the first time in 14 tries the women did not fall to Rider in a dual meet.
Jonathan Gomez picked up right where he left off, winning three events to pace the Peacocks men's team in the loss to the Broncs. The freshman won the 1000 free (9:42.22), the 200 fly (1:52.33) and the 200 back (1:53.93). Nicholas Riepe finished first in the 500 free (4:43.11), second in the 1000 free (9:48.09) and second in the 200 fly (1:56.85) while Sean Dunne won the 200 IM (1:58.62) and placed second in the 200 breast (2:11.82). Manuel Garcia placed second in the 100 fly (52.02) and third in the 50 free (22.35) while Aaron Manfredo finished second on the 1-meter dive (165.75) and third in the 3-meter dive (187.42). Omar Hassan was second in the 100 back (56.78).The relay team of Gomez, Dunne, Rubin and Garcia placed second in the 200-medley relay (1:38.16) and Trey McGraw, Riepe, Hassan and Paolo Jimenez teamed up to take first in the 400-free relay (3:26.95) with Rider exhibitioning the event.
next time in the water… Saint Peter's concludes the regular season and has its final tune up for the MAAC Swimming And Diving Championships at Bridgeport on Sunday.
welcome to the flock… Erica Leynes and Brianni Thomas joined the women's swimming and diving team this season.
preseason poll… The four-time defending MAAC Men's Swimming & Diving champion Rider Broncs have been tabbed as the preseason favorite and was followed by Marist, Canisius, Bryant, Iona, Niagara, Saint Peter's, Manhattan, Fairfield and Monmouth rounded out the men's poll. On the women's side, six-time defending champion Marist has been selected as the preseason favorite while Rider, Canisius, Siena, Iona, Fairfield, Niagara, Saint Peter's, Manhattan and Monmouth rounded out the poll.
most noble… Senior Christina Petrelis was named to the Most Noble Order of the Peacock. Petrelis is one of 10 Saint Peter's seniors with the highest grade point average coming into her senior year.
about the coach… Lia Kunnapas begins her first season as the swimming and diving head coach at Saint Peter's in 2015-16. Kunnapas comes to Saint Peter's after serving as an assistant coach at Immaculate Heart Academy and Bergen Catholic High School for the last two seasons. She also worked with the Montvale swim team for the summer of 2013. She has also worked the Total Performance Swim Camp (2011-12). A four-year letter winner for the Colgate women's swimming and diving team, Kunnapas was a four-time All-Patriot League first-team selection. She won the 100 back and the 200 back as a sophomore and then took first in the 200 free and 200 back as a junior at the Patriot League Championships. Kunnapas also was a member of the winning 400-free and 800-free relay teams at the league championships her senior year. She was named the team's Most Valuable Player in 2012 and 2013.
