SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 24, 2025) – The women's swim team hosted the Elms College Blazers for Senior Day. The Golden Bears would win nine out of the fourteen events, pick up thirteen season-best times, and see Ella Smith earn another WNE record, this time in the 200-yard Breaststroke.
Results:
Western New England: 133
Elms College: 82
How it Happened:
The Golden Bears started the meet with a big 200-yard Medley Relay win. The relay team of Julia Remiszewski, Ella Smith, Olivia Emanuele, and Caitlin Guntly won the race with a time of 2:03.12, earning eleven points. Sofia Piantedosi then swam the 1,650-yard Freestyle for the first time in Piantedosi's career, ending with a time of 25:02.44 and earning four points. Ella Smith followed Piantedosi, swimming the 200-yard Freestyle. Smith swam a time of 2:01.83, winning the race and earning the team nine points. The 100-yard Backstroke saw dominance from the Golden Bears. They finished first, second, and third in the race. Caitlin Guntly led the charge with a time of 1:04.89, earning nine points. Julia Remiszewski followed with a time of 1:12.82, earning four points. Then, Giada Caruso finished with a season-best time of 1:19.83. Gianna Calabrese would claim second place in the 100-yard Breaststroke with a major season-best time of 1:26.27, earning four points. Calabrese dropped over seven seconds in that race. Mandy Robinson then got third place with a season-best time of 1:27.88, earning three points. The 200-yard Butterfly was the race of the evening. Olivia Emanuele made a massive comeback to earn the win by .37 right at the end of the race. Emanuele swam a time of 2:41.20, earning nine points. Event seven saw Alexa Adams earn second place and four points with a season-best time of 28.51, and Amanda Pillard earned a season-best time of 30.95 and three points in the 50-yard Freestyle.
Adams and Pillard then got back in the water for the 100-yard Freestyle. Adams grabbed second place with a season-best time of 1:06.57, and Pillard earned a season-best time of 1:11.44. The two seniors earned a combined seven points for WNE in the event. The 200-yard Backstroke was next, and Caitlin Guntly and Julia Remiszewski got first and second, respectively. Guntly swam a time of 2:23.60, and Remiszewski swam a 2:42.02. The two swimmers combined for 13 WNE points in that race. Event 10 saw Ella Smith claim a second team record in as many meets. Smith swam a 2:30.77 200-yard Breaststroke, which broke the previous record by over three seconds. Gianna Calabrese would then swim a season-best time of 3:10.86 in the event to grab third place. The two WNE swimmers accounted for twelve points in that race. The 500-yard Freestyle race was next. Olivia Emanuele would earn another comeback win for the Golden Bears. Emanuele finished with a season-best time of 6:17.33, earning nine points. Giada Caruso finished with a season-best time of 6:51.95 and earned three points. Alexa Adams then placed fourth with a season-best time of 6:53.74, claiming two points. Amanda Pillard also swam the event with a season-best time of 7:17.27. After the Golden Bears did not have a swimmer in the 100-yard Butterfly, the 200-yard IM saw Mandy Robinson pick up another Golden Bear win with a season-best time of 2:45.66, earning nine points. To conclude the meet, the 400-yard Freestyle team of Julia Remiszewski, Olivia Emanuele, Caitlin Guntly, and Ella Smith came from behind and won the race. They earned eleven points for the team and claimed a time of 4:04.12. The Golden Bears defeated the Blazers 133-82.
Coach's Corner:
Coach Jacob Dino was asked for a comment on the meet. "The team swam one of the best meets I have seen them swim this season. They have worked incredibly hard and have really encouraged each other to improve daily. This meet was the culmination of weeks of great practices," Dino stated. Dino was also asked about what the seniors meant to this team. "This senior class embodies what being a WNE swimmer is all about. They do not know the definition of giving up. They constantly work hard, and are why this program will continue to flourish."
Up Next:
The Golden Bears conclude their regular season schedule on Saturday, February 1, 2025, as they travel to Ely Pool for a tri-meet with Westfield State and UNE at 1:00 PM.
