After another day of competition for the College of Staten Island women’s swimming and diving team at the CUNYAC Championships at Lehman College, the Dolphins have found themselves in a strong, third-place position, and having their fallen record total count elevate to 11 total as CSI completed its swim this afternoon. CSI is currently in third place with 353 points, 23 points behind Baruch College. Hunter College leads the field overall with 473 points.
Today’s meet started with diving, this time on the three-meter boards, and the Dolphins swept the medals, with Stephanie Collyer taking gold with 199.25 points, a new CUNYAC record, and the first of five records broken today at the meet. Victoria Crea, who yesterday broke the 50-yard Freestyle record, won a gold medal and then dumped in 15 points for the women’s basketball team a few hours later, took silver on the board with 155.25 points, followed by Tina Chen grabbing the bronze with 154.50 points, topping the tremendous event for CSI.
The swimming portion started with the 400-yard Medley Relay, and again CSI dazzled. The team of Samantha Escobedo, Dakota Dawkins, Crea, and Ewa Wojciechowska delivered, scoring a 1:55.32 finish, six seconds better than their seed time, winning the close race outright over Baruch, and setting a new CSI record in the process.
In individual events, Hunter Dawkins raced to a seventh-place finish in the 400-yard Individual Medley, and two events later Wojciechowska won her second individual gold of the meet, scoring a 2:02.24 finish in the 200-yard Freestyle, a new CSI and CUNYAC meet record, winning the race by over eight seconds. Next up was Dakota Dawkins in the 100-yard Breaststroke and the junior was magnificent, turning in a time of 1:07.66, another new CSI and CUNYAC record, winning the race by just under five seconds.
Escobedo then medaled, gaining a bronze in the 100-yard Backstroke with a time of 1:06.08, less than 1.5 seconds off the leader, but breaking the CSI team record.
The meet ended with the 800-yard Freestyle Relay, and the Dolphins placed third this time, with Kelly Walsh, Naomi Gaggi, Dakota Dawkins and Samantha Escobedo turning in a time of 9:05.71, 27 seconds faster than CSI’s seed time in the event.
With one more morning of competition left, the Dolphins are positioned nicely for a quality finish, but stand knowing they have made a tremendous dent into their own and the CUNYAC record books that may stand the test of time. Competition begins at 9:00am tomorrow at the Lehman College pool.
