The University of Connecticut Huskies started off their swim and dive season with a bang, defeating the Villanova Wildcats 174-126. The Huskies have historically had a rough time against the Wildcats, losing every matchup since 2015, but Saturday was finally their time to shine and come out on top.
The Huskies started out strong with a first-place and third-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. The first-place team consisted of sophomore Kiersten O’Connor, junior Sydney Perkins, freshman Grier Gordon and junior Jessica Sheng, who helped UConn get 11 points early and set a great tone for the rest of the meet.
The Huskies continued to dominate, placing first in the next four events and racking up 45 points between all their placements. O’Connor and Perkins continued to excel, this time individually. O’Connor placed first in the 100-yard backstroke with an impressive time of 56.37, and Perkins placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing with a time of 1:03.05, almost two whole seconds ahead of the Wildcats sophomore Emily Herr, who finished with a time of 1:04.50.
The Wildcats didn’t give up easily, winning events five, six and seven. Villanova sophomore Anna Kilponen placed first in the 200-yard butterfly, finishing three seconds before teammate senior Anna Farley and just about five seconds before UConn freshman Cara McDonald, who was still able to get three points for the Huskies by placing third with a time of 2:05.42.
UConn senior Kate Cooper had an astounding meet today, placing first in both diving events. She scored 252.08 in the 1-meter diving event, a whopping 29.18 points higher than Villanova senior Michelle Kasulka, who finished with 222.90. Cooper then finished the 3-meter diving event with a score of 240.08. That event was much closer though, as Villanova senior Katie Vaughan finished with a score of 239.55. All in all, Cooper was able to contribute 18 points to her team’s final score today, even though she only competed in two events.
UConn freshman Kate Van Ryn also had a great Big East debut, placing first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 51.21, 4.09 seconds faster than her teammate Sheng, who finished with a time of 55.30. These podium finishes gave UConn another 13 points to add to their lead.
The meet concluded with another relay, this time a 400-yard freestyle relay. The group that helped the Huskies finish strong once again included Gordon, McDonald, senior Maggie Rhodes and junior Zoe Griffin, finishing 3.33 seconds before the Wildcats.
The Huskies were able to get a Big East win early in the season and their first win in a dual meet. The Huskies now look forward to their first home meet of the season on Oct. 31 against the University of Rhode Island Rams.