It was all smiles for the UConn women’s swimming and diving team over the weekend as they capped off a road trip defeating Villanova (180.5-119.5) and Georgetown (158-142).
Despite the large margin of victory for UConn, the scoreboard does not tell the whole story, as there were many close moments where either side could have taken control. This included the 200-Yard Breaststroke where Villanova’s Winnie Jalet won the event by .45 seconds, despite Husky swimmer Angela Gambaradella’s best efforts in a close second place. In the 100-Yard Butterfly, Katie White of Villanova put up an impressive time of 56.82, which would normally be good enough to take home the gold in this event. Unfortunately for her, Ella Epes also finished with a 56.82, meaning they would both be bringing their teams 6.5 points from this event.
This was the Wildcats’ first meet of the year, and despite the loss, there were some silver linings. Five of the six events they won were won by freshmen, which is a positive thing for the Wildcats’ future. Another close finish in this meet was during the 200 Medley race, where UConn’s Molly Rodgers, Gambardella, Charlotte Proceller and Lexi Martino combined for a time of 1:45:18. In contrast, Villanova put up a respectable time of 1:45:40 in this event. Only .22 seconds separated these two schools from taking home the win in this event. All of these close events helped bring Connecticut the victory, as 10 of the 14 swimming events were decided within a second.
The meet against Georgetown was a little tighter, with only 16 points separating the Hoyas and Huskies. This meet would not be as easily decided for UConn, as they had to start fighting from the first event (200-Yard Medley), asthe Huskies only a .16 second margin of victory over their fellow Big East rivals. In this same meet, UConn’s Robyn Edwards set a pool record for the 200-Yard Backstroke with a finals time of 2:00:12, en route to the fourth straight win for the Huskies. This Connecticut team looks as focused as ever to take home the Big East Championship.
“The team atmosphere was unmatched to anything I have ever experienced before,” Edwards said. “Coming together as a team and winning both meets with such a positive attitude from everyone was really special. (I’m) so glad to be a Husky.”
Edwards’ efforts combined with breaking records and taking the gold in eight of the 16 events was enough to give the Huskies the victory.
The Huskies will improve to 4-0 on the year. These meets had significant implications for the team. Previous to this, UConn was 0-3 in their last three meetings with their Pennsylvania rivals, so It was nice for them to squeak out a victory that many did not expect of them. The Huskies will return to the Wolff-Zackin Natatorium on November 5th to take on a fellow Connecticut rival: Southern Connecticut State University.
Coming up for Villanova on October 29th will be against Georgetown at noon, where both teams will be hoping for a bounce-back win after their losses against the University of Connecticut.
