Montclair, NJ – It came down to the final event, but in the end, it would not decide a winner as the Montclair State women's swimming and diving team finished in a 150-150 tie with Rowan University at the Panzer Pool on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman
AMBER ROCHELEAU won three individual events and helped a relay to victory as the Red Hawks (2-2-1, 0-1-1 NJAC) finished in a deadlock with the Profs (3-0-1, 1-0-1) for the first time in 50 all-time meetings. Meanwhile, the Rowan (3-0, 2-0 NJAC) men posted a 177-120 win over MSU (3-2, 0-2 NJAC).
How rare was the tie you might ask? It just the second time in the long tenure of Montclair State head coach Brian McLaughlin that MSU came out of meet with neither a definitive winner. McLaughlin, who took over at Montclair State in 1989 has coached 738 career meets.
On the women's side, it all came down to the last event, the 400 freestyle relay. Montclair held a slight edge but needed to finish in second and third place to win the meet while Rowan had to take the top two spots. The Profs would take first with MSU coming in second as the quartet of
JULIANA SKOPP-CARDILLO,
SOPHIA CIARAVINO,
SOPHIA SHOPOVICK, and
LIDIA BOGUSLAWSKA posting a time of 3:48.25. So it was down to third place, which Rowan earned with a time of 3:52.55, three seconds ahead of the Red Hawks.
The MSU women began the meet strong as Rocheleau joined
EMILY ROTHAMEL,
ABBY BROCK, and Shopovick on the winning 200 medley relay as the team took the event 1:53.88. Rocheleau earned the first of her three wins in the 200 freesyle (2:01.03) with Rothamel taking the top spot in the 100 backstroke (1:01.83). Brock won the 100 breaststroke (1:12.35) with Rocheleau getting a second victory in the 200 butterfly (2:16.43).
Rothamel made it a sweep of the backstroke claiming the 200 event (2:13.00) and Rocheleau got the triple-win with a victory in the 200 individual medley (2:17.66).
On the diving boards, Montclair went 1-2-3 in the first round of six dives. Hanna Geib (132.25 points) won the event with
KYLIE MCGUIRE (120.95) and
EMMA BOWERS (106.75) placing third. Bowers collected a win in the second section of five attempts posting a score of 153.25 with Geib earning second with 149.75 points.
For the MSU men, freshman
LUCAS GOMES won three individual events taking first in the 50 free (22.15), 100 free (48.20), and the 100 butterfly (52.52).
RYAN KAPPES got the top honor for the 200 freestyle (10:15.86) with
BRANDON DO placing first in the 200 breaststroke (2:12.07).
ALEX PALLEN finished second in the first section of diving totaling 127.00 points on his five dives.
The Red Hawks women are back in action on Tuesday, November 9 hosting Kean University in a 5pm NJAC matchup at the Panzer Pool. Both teams are together again November 19-21 at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational in Lancaster, PA.
