After recording two victories in as many days, the College of Staten Island men’s and women’s swimming and diving units got rewarded for their efforts this week, taking home three weekly honors from the City University of New York Athletic Conference. Freshman Michael Stora was named Rookie of the Week and Xavier Nicholson was named Diver of the Week on the men’s side, while fellow frosh Jen Basini was named Diver of the Week on the women’s side.
Stora made his craft look easy last week. Against Lehman College, he started as the second leg in the winning 200-Medley Relay team that got CSI started well. Then, he won the 50-yard Freestyle with a time of 24.29, winning by over a second. He finished his perfect day with a first place run in the 100-yard Breaststroke, with a time of 1:03.79, winning by over three seconds. The next day against FDU, Stora was great again, finishing first in both the 200-yard Individual Medley (2:13.41) and the 100-yard Breaststroke (1:04.77), while coming in third in the 500-yard Freestyle. He also set a pool record in the 200-Breaststroke as part of time-trials with a time of 2:24.95.
Over on the diving planks, Nicholson and Basini were able to dive for the first time this season in their home pool against both Lehman and FDU. Nicholson performed on both boards. Against Lehman, put up a score of 225.3 on the one-meter platform and then put up a score of 162.7 on the three-meter. Against FDU, he took first place again in both events, this time putting up 213.55 on the one-meter and then a season-best 169.15 on the three-meter.
Basini was able to dive solely on the one-meter boards in the two meets she competed in. Against Lehman, she earned a silver medal with a score of 167.70, and then against FDU she took first place with a score of 178.90, the best score of her career.
The CSI me currently sport a 4-1 record while the women are 2-4. Both teams are off until January 5, when they will travel to a winter trip to Florida to participate in a race yet to be determined.
