NESCAC's Day 1: New 400 Medley Relay Record

400 Medley Relay, From L-R: Jensen, Friel, Moroney, Butler

At the 2013 Women's Swimming & Diving NESCAC Championships the Bantams ended the first day of competition by establishing a new varsity record in the 400 medley relay. The team of Moroney, Butler, Friel, and Jensen swam a 4:00.63. The previous record of 4:05.13 was set in 2011 by the team of Brooke Haynes, Joanna Wycech, Shelby Friel and Emily Jensen. Lexi Moroney established a new varsity record in the 100 back in the lead-off leg of the relay. Her time of 1:01.38 bettered the previous mark set by Brooke Haynes in 2011 of 1:01.43. Other highlights of day one included Audrey Butler's 6th place finish the 50 breaststroke, Shelby Friel's 10th place finish in the 50 fly, Emily Johnson's 8th place finish on the 1-meter board, Emily Johnson's 19th place finish in the 50 free, and Daisy Letendre's 23rd place finish in the 200IM. Katie Barlok also established a new first year record leading off the B 400 medley relay. Her 100 back was a lifetime best time of 1:01.96 and marked the first time a Trinity first year has ever broken 1:02.00. Keep it up Bants!

Bantams Close Regular Season at Roger Williams

Women's Meet

Senior Shelby Friel was a triple winner for the Bantams on Saturday. She took first in the 50 and 100  butterfly and the 200 freestyle to lead Trinity to a 176-121 victory over Roger Williams University. Fellow senior Emily Jensen and senior Co-Captain Daisy Letendre won the 50 freestyle and the 200 IM, respectively. Junior Emily Johnson continued her domination of both boards, taking first on both the one and three meter events.  Friel's win in the 200 freestyle and a third-place time in the same race by senior Co-Captain Carleigh Haron tied the meet at 27-27 after three events.  Sophomore Lexi Moroney, junior Joanna Wycech, and first-year Katie Barlok finsihed 1-2-3 in the 50 backstroke to give Trinity its first lead at 43-20. The Bantams never trailed following their advantage after the 50 backstroke. Coach Noon was impressed with how the team performed saying, "We completed their season with a solid win, Roger Williams was likely to be partially tapered for their upcoming championships.  I am excited for where our women are right now as we now approach NESCAC Championships in a few weeks."

Men's Meet

Coaches and swimmers cheering during the men's 200 IM

In a meet that came down to the final race, the visiting Bantams lost a nailbiter, 152-139, to the Roger Williams University. Trinity completed its dual-meet schedule with a 5-5 record.  Roger Williams 'A' 200 free relay edged Trinity's 'A' relay by 1.88 seconds to take first place in the event and clinched the meet. Individually, Trinity first-year Nick Celestin broke his own school record in the 100 backstroke for the second time this season with a time of 53.31 to lead off the 400 medley relay, and also secured wins in the 50  backstroke, the 100 backstroke, and the 100 butterfly.  Junior Max Man won all three of his events (50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke, 200IM), while senior John Feminella closed his dual-meet career with a win in the 50 freestyle, and junior Brendan Kelley won the 50 butterfly in a come from behind finish. Coach Noone had this to say about the meet, "It was a close meet the whole way. I thought we did a great job of keeping ourselves in contention against a team that was likely to be partially tapered for their upcoming championships next weekend."

Men's Team Second Semester Summary

Men's Team Huddle.

The Bantam's returned from Florida with a full schedule of meets. Over a two week period the Bantams had five competitions against seven teams. It was an action packed two weeks with lots of fast swimming and some great competition. The men came away from the five meet, seven match up spread, with a solid 4-3 record and lots of regular season and personal best times. 

During the marathon schedule of meets the men had wins against Vassar, Brandeis, Wesleyan, and Colby, and losses at Wheaton, Connecticut College, and Bowdoin.

Wheaton College
Trinity freshman Nick Celestin won the 200 freestyle and junior co-captain, Mark Yanagisawa finished second in the 1000 freestyle, and followed that with a first place finish in the 200 IM, and another in the 200 butterfly.  Celestin picked up another first place finish later in the afternoon, in the 200 backstroke. Coach Noone was pleased with the men's performance, “I thought our men’s team did a good job, especially being down a few men due to injuries. They had some significant time drops today coming off of our training trip, and that is a good sign for our upcoming meets as they become more rested.”

Vassar College
Just a day after the Wheaton meet Junior co-captain Mark Yanagisawa won all three of his individual events to lead the visiting Trinity College Bantams to a 117-95 victory over Vassar College. Yanagisawa won the 1,000 freestyle, the 200 IM, and the 100 butterfly, while classmate Max Ma took first place in the 100 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke.  Trinity first-year Nick Celestin won both the 200 freestyle and the 100 backstroke and teamed with Ma, junior Alex Zhang  and sophomore Alex Kurose to win the meet-opening 200 medley relay.  Celestin's time of 25.04 in the 50 backstroke leg of the relay set a new Bantam record in the event, breaking a two-year old mark held by Andrew Boynton.

Brandeis College
First-year Nick Celestin won three events and junior Max Ma won twice to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 159-102 victory over Brandeis University. Coach Noone was pleased with the men's performances as she said, "Our teams are in great shape right now coming off of a rigorous winter break schedule. We had lots of lifetime best times today, and that really tells the story of what a great position we are in at this point in the season. Our divers are really stepping it up, and I can't wait for NESCAC Championships to watch some great performances." The Bantams finished first and second in the 200 medley relay to open the meet with a 15-2 lead, and coasted from there.  Ma won the 100 breaststroke and the 200 breaststroke, and Celestin won the 100 backstroke, the 200 backstroke, and the 400 IM.  Junior diver Mac McCarthy had two lifetime best scores on the one- and three-meter diving events and Celestin's 400 IM time was a lifetime best.

Bowdoin, Colby, Wesleyan
The Trinity College Bantams edged both Colby College and Wesleyan University in a quad meet at Bowdoin College.  Trinity topped Colby, 149-144, and Wesleyan, 140-139, while losing to the host Polar Bears, 198-87. With the wins the men improve to 5-4 in dual meets. First-year Nick Celestin won the 100 and 200 butterflies with lifetime-best times, and new team record times of 51.90 and 1:55.39, respectively.  He also earned a lifetime-best time of 1:47.39 in the 200-yard freestyle.  Junior diver Mac McCarthy contributed big points with two first-places against Wesleyan and a first and second place against Colby.  Junior Max Ma and junior co-captain Mark Yanagisawa finished first and second, respectively, in the 200 IM to secure team wins against both Wesleyan and Colby. Coach Noon had this to say about the meet, “Our men had great meets to get wins against Wesleyan and Colby. Every race mattered from first to fifth place.  We had enough depth to get the job done.”

Women's Team Second Semester Summary

Seniors and Coaches at Senior Meet versus Brandeis

The Bantam's returned from Florida with a full schedule of meets. Over a two week period the Bantams had five competitions against seven teams. It was an action packed two weeks with lots of fast swimming and some great competition. The women came away from the five meet, seven match up spread, with a solid 3-4 record and lots of regular season and personal best times. 

Wheaton College
In their first meet since returning from Florida the Bantams topped the Wheaton College Lyons, 160-74. Coach Noone said of the meet, "This meet should have been closer for the women, and they just went out and crushed it.  Their hard work on our training trip is already paying off big dividends for them. I am very pleased with where they are right now as we kick off the second part of our season." The Bantams took first in 7 of 10 individual events. Senior leadership was key in this meet. Seniors Emily Jensen and Daisy Letendre each won two individual events, and Letendre had a personal best time in her lead off of the 400 Medley Relay. Junior Emily Johnson continued her domination on the boards taking first on both the 1 and 3 meter boards, and establishing a new Trinity record on the 3-meter.

Vassar College
A day after the Wheaton meet the Bantams were back in action at Vassar College. Seniors led the way again, Emily Jensen and Shelby Friel won two races each and junior Emily Johnson swept the diving events. The Bantams won 121-103.  Trinity won its second meet in as many days. 

Brandeis Meet
Ten different Bantams won events, as the Trinity College women's swimming and diving team dominated from start to finish against the visiting Brandeis University Judges in a 180-77 win at Trinity Natatorium. It was truly a team effort as every individual came through to help in the win.

Connecticut College
The Bantams fell to Connecticut College, but had several personal best times in the contest. Seniors, Emily Jensen, Shelby Friel, and sophomore Audrey Butler, recorded second-place finishes for the Bantams. Friel, competing collegiality in the 500 free for the first time, finished in a personal best 5:24.22 (9th-best in Trinity history). It was a great meet for all the swimmers.

Bowdoin, Colby, Wesleyan
Junior Emily Johnson won both diving events, as the Trinity College Bantams competed in a quad meet at Bowdoin College against Bowdoin, Colby, and Wesleyan. Johnson took the top spot against five other divers with a score of 241.60 off the one-meter board and beat out four other competitors with a first-place score of 223.35 off the three-meter board. Audrey Butler finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.  Her 200 breast time of 2:33.95 was an untapered regular-season best time.  Shelby Friel placed third and fourth in the 100 butterfly and 200 free, respectively.  Her 200 free time of 1:59.87 was a regular-season best time.  Coach Noone was pleased with how the team performed saying, "Our women will compete at Bowdoin at NESCAC Championships in a few weeks, so this was a good chance for them to get used to competing in this pool and to see some strong NESCAC competition. I thought varied individuals stepped up at different times during the meet.  It was good to see some strong performances from our women."

Celestin Continues Record Breaking Season

First-Year Nick Celestin continues his record setting season, He established new marks of 51.90 and 1:55.39 in the 100 and 200 butterfly at the quad meet at Bowdoin College. This marks the third time this season that Celestin has lowered the record in the 200 fly, and the second time he has dropped the mark in the 100 fly. These records add to his record times in the 100 IM (54.72), the 50 back (25.04) and the 100 back (53.33). We're excited to see what he'll do once he's fully tapered and shaved, congrats Nick!

Senior Women Achieve 3.941 Avg. GPA

Bantam Senior Women 2012-13 Pompano Beach, FL
From Left to Right: Daisy Letendre, Emily Jensen, Shelby Friel, Carleigh Haron

This season the Bantams have four senior women: Shelby Friel, Carleigh Haron, Emily Jensen, and Daisy Letendre. These are not your average swimmers or college athletes. These women compete at the highest level within their team and within the NESCAC. They also achieve at the highest level in the classroom among all students at Trinity.

During her four year career Shelby Friel has established team records in the 50 and 100 fly, the 50 back and the 200 free. She has also been a key member to the Trinity relays. She has contributed to the 400 and 800 free relay records, and the 200 and 400 medley relay records. This season Shelby has put in an incredible amount of dedication in training and is sure to have an amazing NESCAC championship meet.

Co-Captain Carleigh Haron is off to another incredible season. Over the last four years she has become a key member of the Trinity relays. She is the only swimmer to be a part of the 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relay records. Her ability to contribute in relay events ranging from the 50 to 200 freestyle highlights her versatility as a sprint and mid-distance freestyler. She currently ranks among the top-10 in Trinity history in the 100 and 200 free, and the 50 and 100 fly. We can't wait to see what she does at NESCAC's!

Emily Jensen is off to another strong season and looks to cap off her career with an incredible NESCAC championship meet. The leader of Trinity's sprint group, she currently ranks third all time in both the 50 and 100 free and she was a member of the record setting 200 and 400 free relays, as well as the 400 medley relay. Jensen also ranks among Trinity's top-10 in the 50 breaststroke.

Co-Captain Daisy Letendre holds the third fastest time in school history in the 200 and 400 IM and ranks among the top-10 in team history in the 100 IM, and the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Letendre has been a leader in the IM and breaststroke groups the last two years and looks to finish her stellar career with a phenomenal NESCAC Championship meet.

All of these women are incredible athletes as indicated by their achievements in the pool over the last four years, but what is most impressive is that they are all equally impressive students. During the fall semester Shelby Friel, Carleigh Haron, Emily Jensen, and Daisy Letendre had a combined average GPA of 3.941. With their astounding performance in the classroom they helped lead the Trinity College women's swim team to their highest team GPA in school history at just above 3.5. The team's GPA for the fall semester would have ranked among the top-10 in the country last fall, and is sure to be right atop the standings once this year's GPA rankings are released. Congratulations Shelby, Carleigh, Emily and Daisy! Thank you for the impressive example you have set and for continuing the tradition of excellence here at Trinity!

Pompano Beach Training Trip

Trinity College Bantam Swimming & Diving 2012-13, Pompano Beach, Fl

Women's Team 2012-13 Pompano Beach, FL

Men's Team 2012-13 Pompano Beach, FL

Seniors 2012-13 Pompano Beach, FL

Every winter break the Bantam Swimming and Diving teams return to school early for their most intense training of the season. While their break is cut short, they do get to spend part of it somewhere warm. This year they headed south to Pompano Beach, Florida. The training trip is always a huge time for team building and bonding as a group. The trip is also a time for some really hard work and incredible training. This year the team spent nine days training long course meters twice a day. Each day the temperature ranged from 75-85 degrees, and the sun was shining all trip. It was perfect training trip weather. While there was down time each day at the beach, most of trip was spent working hard at the pool.

A typical day on training trip started with morning practice. The team would meet at the vans around 6:30am. The pool was a short five minute drive away from the hotel. The team would spend the next two and half hours getting intense and quality workouts in as the sun rose. After practice the team would enjoy the hotel breakfast together, before they'd head to the beach to catch some waves and some rays. After spending time as a team on the beach the team would head back to their rooms for a quick nap before practice number two. The vans would load up again at 4:30pm. The team would do dryland at the pool until 5:00pm and then spend the next two hours getting back to business in the pool. While on the trip the team continued some team training trip traditions. They went out for team ice cream sundae night, and had a team night out at the movies. They also continued the team dinner tradition as they had one large team dinner at a Pompano Beach favorite, J. Marks.

Both men's and women's team worked incredibly hard all trip. They will surely see their work pay off big time in the remaining dual meets, and especially at NESCAC Championships in February. Way to go Bantams!