Lady Bears Swimming Defeats Old Westbury for First Win in Program’s History

OLD WESTBURY, NY - In only their third intercollegiate competition, the St. Joseph's College women's swimming team captured their first win on Thursday night with a 117-104 victory over SUNY-Old Westbury at the Old Westbury Aquatic Center.

Freshman Kristen McMaster (Brooklyn, NY/Fontbonne) paced the Lady Bears with dominating performances taking first in all three individual freestyle events she swam, 500-yard (7:37.03), 100-yard (1:09.63), and 50-yard freestyle (28.88).  McMaster would have also anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay team to another first place finish, but the relay was disqualified due to an early exchange.

Freshman Alison Nunziata (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) took first place in one of the most exciting and closest races of the night.  In the 50-yard butterfly, after trailing most of the final leg, Nunziata edged Kelly Kate by thirteen-hundredths of a second with a "Michael Phelps like" touch at the wall.  Nunziata also anchored the 200-yard medley relay to a win that set the tone for the remainder of the night and took second in the other two events she swam.

Additional first place finishes were turned in by Brianne Reilly (Queens, NY/Frank Sinatra) in the 50-yard backstroke (39.70), Elizabeth Fiorella (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) in the 50-yard breaststroke (43.78) and Jessica Lintner(Queens, NY/Frank Sinatra) in the 100-yard backstroke (1:53.96).  Overall, the Lady Bears took first in eight events, and took the top two spots in two events.

Competing as a club team this season, St. Joseph's improves to 1-4.  The Lady Bears have a week off from competition and are back in the pool on Friday, February 13th to face College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ.