The Monmouth University Men and Women’s Swim Team competed in the CAA Championships at the Hampton Aquaplex in Hampton, Virginia, to complete their 2023-24 season.
Over the course of four days, the men’s and women’s teams combined to set seven school records and a multitude of personal bests.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, fifth-year Cole Dyson, graduate student Thomas Svane-From, sophomore Kacper Sobieszuk, and freshman Ziv Cohen set the first school record in the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay where they finished with a time of 6:39.43. This was not the only time these men saw success in this CAA Championship. Dyson advanced to the B Final in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday, Feb. 29 with a time of 4:29.14. Dyson alongside Svane-From went on to advance to the A and B finals for the 200-yard freestyle on Friday, Mar. 1, where Svane-From finished in 1:38.38, coming in eighth place in the A final.
On Thursday, sophomore Owen Dyson finished the 50-yard freestyle in 20.52, which qualified him for the B Final. Dyson placed first in the B final, where he broke a Monmouth record finishing in 20.36. He later set a new program record for the 400-yard medley, with his team of senior Gavin Loughlin, graduate student Blake Reynolds, and Svane-From with a time of 3:18.55.
Juniors Jensen Ritter and Kristen Gullickson advanced to the C Final for the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday, finishing in 4:59.97 and 5:04.23, respectively. Gullickson advanced to the C Final on Friday, this time alongside sophomore Bailey Rynkiewicz for the 400-yard IM. Rynkiewicz finished in 4:33.98 while Gullickson set a then-school record in 4:31.70. That night, Gullickson finished in 4:30.38, to break her own program record.
Sophomore Isabella Aguanno advanced to the C Final on Friday, as well, in the 100-yard breaststroke. Aguanno swam a 1:06.49 in prelims, and 1:06.39 later that night.
Sophomore Jenna Pryne qualified for the 200-yard IM C Final on Thursday where she finished with a Monmouth record-breaking time of 2:06.04. In the 100-yard backstroke, Pryne finished in 56.95 while Owen Dyson finished in 47.81 to qualify them for the C and A Final, respectively. Dyson placed seventh in the A Final with a time of 48.10.
As Saturday rolled around, the Hawks continued to soar, setting even more program records. Svane-From swam the 100-yard freestyle with a Monmouth record-breaking time of 44.98, to send him to the B Finals. Freshman Trevor Nolan briefly held the team record, finishing the 100-yard freestyle in 44.99, just before Svane-From, but still holding a spot in the B Finals.
Sobieszuk and fifth year Dylan Edge both swam the 200-yard butterfly, Sobieszuk finishing in 1:49.17, to secure a spot in the A Finals and Edge finishing in 1:49.80 to qualify for the B Finals. Sobieszuk went on to place seventh overall with a time of 1:50.41.
Pryne continued the Hawks success, qualifying for the B Final in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:03.13.
Edge and Owen Dyson qualified for the B Final in the 200-yard backstroke event, with times of 1:47.85 and 1:48.43 that ultimately advanced them to finals.
Aguanno qualified for her second C Final in the 200-yard breaststroke, and a time of 2:21.83 that advanced her to the finals.
This ended the Hawks’ 2023-24 season on a great note.
