SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 18, 2025) – The Golden Bears hosted the Falcons for WNE's first meet back after winter break. WNE would return to the pool in style, with the team picking up five best times, junior Ella Smith picking up a new WNE record, and the team defeating the Falcons by a score of 131-57.
Results:
Western New England: 131
Albertus Magnus College: 57
How it Happened:
The Golden Bears started the afternoon by placing first and second in the 200 Yard Medley Relay. The team of Caitlin Guntly, Ella Smith, Olivia Emanuele, and Alexa Adams took first place with a time of 2:02.98 and claimed 11 points for the team. WNE followed that up with a one, two finish in the 1000 Yard Freestyle event, also. Gianna Calabrese took first place with a season-best time of 14:44.21, earning nine points, and Sofia Piantedosi got second place with a 14:46.09, earning four points. Alexa Adams swam the 200 Yard Freestyle race next and placed second, with a time of 2:29.01, to earn the team 4 points. The 50 Yard Breaststroke saw Amanda Robinson place second with a time of 38.25, earning four points, and Gianna Calabrese had a quick turnaround after the 1000 Yard Freestyle and finished third with a time of 40.20, earning three points. The 100 Yard Butterfly saw Caitlin Guntly claim first place with a time of 1:05.80, claiming nine points for the team, and Olivia Emanuele placed second with a season-best time of 1:08.62 to claim four points. The 50 Yard Freestyle race saw Amanda Pillard place fourth in the event, with a season-best time of 31.62, claiming two points for the team.
The 100 Yard Freestyle race followed a short break in swimming. Alexa Adams and Amanda Pillard finished first and second in the race. Adams claimed nine points, first place, and a season-best time of 1:07.21. Pillard swam a time of 1:13.48, earned second place, and picked up four points for WNE. Giada Caruso swam a season-best time of 1:20.09 in the 100 Yard Backstroke, earning third place and three points. Ella Smith swam a first-career individual race as a Golden Bear in the 100 Yard Breaststroke. Smith would finish first with a WNE record time of 1:10.37. The 500 Yard Freestyle was next, with WNE finishing first, second, and third in the race. Caitlin Guntly swam a 6:08.62, finishing first and earning nine points. Giada Caruso swam a time of 7:07.75, earning second place and picking up four points. Sofia Piantedosi finished with a time of 7:34.35, earning third place and three points. The 50 Yard Butterfly saw Olivia Emanuele place first with a time of 30.62, earning the team nine points. Then, Ella Smith won the 100 Yard Individual Medley with a time of 1:03.62, earning nine points. Amanda Robinson placed third with a time of 1:16.82, earning three points. The meet concluded with the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, which saw the team of Caitlin Guntly, Alexa Adams, Olivia Emanuele, and Ella Smith claim first place and eleven points. WNE would get second in the race as well. The meet ended with WNE winning 131-57.
Coach's Corner:
Golden Bears coach Jacob Dino was asked for a quote after the meet. "The team has worked extremely hard up to this point, and it showed today. They put up some great times and overall swam a great meet," Dino mentioned.
Gianna Calabrese was asked to speak about how Calabrese thought the meet went today and what Calabrese believes helped Calabrese have a great meet today. "I feel that the meet went great today. We pushed ourselves during our two weeks of intersession and it payed off. We all swam amazing races and displayed our hard work. One of the things that helped me the most today was our music and positive energy. It's easy to be discouraged after difficult training but we had high energy on deck and had fun which makes racing more enjoyable and easier for me," Calabrese responded.
Up Next:
The Golden Bears will return home for their Senior Day meet on Friday, January 24, 2025, as they host Elms College at 6:00 PM.
