On Friday, the UConn swim and dive team returned home for their first meet at Wolff-Zackin Natatorium since Oct. 21 to face off against Central Connecticut.
Looking to shake off their loss against New Hampshire in their previous outing, the Huskies got off to a hot start with wins in the 200-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. From there, they never looked back as they rolled to a 245-55 win over the Blue Devils.
The matchup between these in-state foes was never in doubt, as Connecticut prevailed in the first 15 events of the match.
The first of three pool records was set by sophomore standout Ella Epes in the 100-yard butterfly event, as she finished with a 54.46. Junior Maggie Donnelly set the second pool record in the 100-yard backstroke with a 54.48 stamp and graduate student Meghan Byrne set the pool record with a 2:03.73 time in the 200-yard individual medley.
One of the few bright spots for the Devils came on the 400 free relay, where the group of Katrine O’Leary, Gabby Spaciano, Kelly Stotler and Shannon Welcome went for a season-best time of 3:33.17.
“Great team win tonight. It’s great to be back home in front of our parents and spectators. Raucous crowd with an in-state rival coming to town. Really proud of our team and how we competed from start to finish,” coach Chris Maiello told UConn Athletics after the win. “…Excited about our three special swims with those pool records. Credit to those girls for working really hard, always.”
Now sitting at 7-3 on the season, the Huskies got out to a 2-0 start with wins over Southern Connecticut State and Georgetown before going on a mini, two-game skid against Villanova and Northeastern. Saturday’s home win over the Blue Devils comes on the heels of their 152-147 loss at New Hampshire, and previous victories over Bucknell and Rhode Island.
The Huskies will conclude their regular season this Saturday for a Senior Day home meet against the Providence Friars before the Big East Championship on Feb. 28. The first race is slated for noon and results and coverage can be found on uconnhuskies.com.