Link to Day One Results
Ewing, NJ…The College of New Jersey's men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened competition on Friday in the Lions' Invitational, a three-day event with Springfield College.
Men's Highlights
In the 500 freestyle, rookie Mike Vernoia (Hillsborough, NJ/Immaculata) won the race in 4:41.39, while sophomore Tom Medvecky (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) took second in 4:45.87.
The Lions also won the 200 freestyle relay after posting a time of 1:27.96 in the times finals as senior Tom Nawrot (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick), sophomore Shawn Kircher (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North), rookie Ryan Clark (Ocean City, NJ/St. Augustine), and senior Mike Heaney (Voorhees, NJ/Bishop Eustace) combined.
In the 200 individual medley race, sophomore Joe Tseng (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) took first in 1:58.34, while Nawrot added a win for the Lions in the 50 freestyle in 21.61 and Kircher picked up second in 21.81.
Rookie diver TJ Burns (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) took third in the three meter diving event after posting a score of 376.38.
TCNJ added another win as the Lion foursome of Nawrot, junior Eric Rohrs (Congers, NY/Clarkstown High North), Medvecky, and Kircher won the 400 medley relay in 3:36.42.
Women's Highlights
The Lion women were led on the day by rookie Traci Hofer (Millville, NJ/Millville) who picked up first place showing in the 50 freestyle race in 24.57.
The Lions picked a pair of second place finishes n the 200 freestyle relay (1:41.73) and the 400 medley relay (4:04.14). Swimming on the 200 freestyle relay were junior Ashley Robb (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), freshman Leah Varvaro (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Egg Harbor Township), Hofer, and freshman Laura Pierce (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West).
On the 400 medley relay for the Lions were Varvaro, sophomore Katie Morgan (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), Pierce, and sophomore Margaret Molloy (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East).
Morgan added a seventh place finish in the 500 freestyle in 5:37.80, while the Lions picked up a third and fourth place finish in the 200 individual medley race as seniors Sara Casciano (Hewitt, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) and Stefanie Rashti (Cherry Hills, NJ/Cherry Hill West) posted times of 2:18.75 and 2:20.43, respectively.
In the women's one meter diving event, freshman Emily Ingram (Easthampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) took fourth and sophomore Amanda Obst (Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape May Regional) took fourth with scores of 225.08 and 222.08, respectively.
