Explorers beat Lehigh: Swim team closes out regular season with win

By Kevin Prendergast
Collegian Staff
February 7, 2007

Over the weekend, the La Salle men’s swim team closed out its regular season with a victory over Lehigh, 155-145. The win puts the team at 4-4 overall on the season, with only the championship meet remaining.

The Explorers were led by junior Grant Chin, who racked up three first-place finishes during the meet. Chin won his first ever 1,000-yd freestyle race with a time of 9:50.66. This win was followed by a win in the 200-yd breaststroke race with a time of 2:09.81 and a win in the 200-yd individual medley with a time of 1:55.01. Chin’s accomplishments in the meet garnered him Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week honors.

There were also some outstanding performances from a number of the team’s seniors, who swam for the last time in competition at La Salle’s Kirk Pool. Senior Sean Connors-McBride won the 500-yd freestyle event with a time of 4:51.32. He also earned second in the 200-yd butterfly race by posting a time of 1:55.87. Fellow senior Reed Inglee finished right behind Connors-McBride for third place in the 200-yd butterfly event with a time of 1:59.46.

Connors-McBride also helped the team with a third place finish in the 200-yd freestyle event, in which he posted a time of 1:45.00.

Not to be outdone was senior diver Karo Isajan, who swept the two events in which he participated. His score of 317.40 was good enough for first in the one-meter event. Then, Isajan followed up his win in the one-meter event with another one in the three-meter. He posted a score of 348.68 to take home first in the three-meter event.

Some other notable performances by the Explorers include sophomore Jeff Long’s third place finishes in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events. Long scored a 213.21 in the one-meter event and a 227.09 in the three-meter event. Also, freshman Owen Black placed second in the 200-yd freestyle event, ahead of teammate Sean Connors-McBride, with a time of 1:44.69.

For the women, seniors Mallory Kessler, Jamie Polek and Ashley Young completed their final home meet at La Salle in a 153-147 win. This was the women’s team’s third victory of the season, as the win over Lehigh pushed them to 3-7 on the year.

Sophomore Carleen Caldwell and freshman Shannon Duval both had excellent performances. Each swimmer took home first place honors in three events. For Caldwell, it was the 200-yd free (1:57.29), the 50-yd free (25.01) and the 100-yd free (54.39). Duval was the champion in the 100-yd breast (1:06.44), the 200-yd IM (2:09.24) and the 200-yd breast (2:19.63).

Junior Katie Gifford and freshman Margaret Stringer finished first and second, respectively, in each of the diving events.

The team will look to improve upon its impressive performance at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Buffalo on Feb. 21.

prendergastk1@lasalle.edu