Fourteen swimmers contribute points in home-opening win over Smith
Below: Stephanie O'Kelly
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Sparked by freshman Stephanie O'Kelly's (Westport) two first-
place finishes, a balanced women's swim team captured its home-opener with a 136-126 victory over Smith College Saturday at the Sports Center pool.
Smith (0-2) swimmers won seven individual events and the Pioneers captured one relay, but Eastern (1-1) received points from 14 different individuals in downing Smith for the second consecutive season.
Led by O'Kelly, who won her first two collegiate races in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke, the Warriors claimed 21 Top Three finishes. Holding a slim lead after 12 events, Eastern totaled 12 points in the 200 yard individual medley to cement the victory. Senior Jessica Wilson (Torrington) won the race after placing second to O'Kelly in the 100 and 200 breast, and O'Kelly added a third-place finish after her two breaststroke wins.O'Kelly was .34 seconds off the program record in the 200 break and less than a second record in the 100.
Four swimmers collected double-digit point totals. Behind O'Kelly's 21 points, Wilson added 17, junior Amy Arisco (Wallingford) 16 and senior Kelsy Doheny (West Haven) 15. O'Kelly and Doheny also contributed to the winning 200 yard medley relay and Arisco and Willson swam the first and final legs of the 400 yard freestyle relay which was second.
In addition to O'Kelly and Wilson, other Eastern swimmers capturing individual titles were Arisco in the 200 yard butterfly and Doheny in the 50 yard freestyle.
Three Smith swimmers - two of them freshmen - combined for the team's seven individual titles. Junior Lily Seidman won the 100 and 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard butterfly, freshman Emma Reim the 500 and 1,000 yard freestyle and freshman Michelle Mai the 100 and 200 yard backstroke. Reim also swam the opening leg of the winning 400 yard freestyle relay.
Eastern visits Saint Joseph College (CT) Saturday at 1 p.m.
