BY ANDREW HALE, STAFF WRITER
After competing on the road for the first five meets of the season, the St. Bonaventure University men’s and women’s Swim and Dive teams returned home to face Cornell. The men’s and women’s teams fell to the Big Red by scores of 95-148 and 90-144 respectively.
On the men’s side, the Bonnies were able to take home four victories in the 1-meter dive, 1000-freestyle, 200-freestyle and the 200-IM.
With a score of 284.78, junior diver Lucas Dekaney finished first in the 1-meter dive. Freshman Mikolaj Synowiec took first in the 1000-freestyle with a time of 9:50.76. In the 200-freestyle, sophomore swimmer Alexander Behr posted an event-best 1:42.04 time. The Bonnies’ last event win of the day came via senior Nicholas Nakaya and his 1:56.38 time in the 200-IM.
The women finished with first-place finishes in the 200-IM, 200-butterfly, 200-backstroke and the 200-freestyle relay.
Sophomore Silvana Cabrera led the way early for the Bonnies, finishing in first place in the 200-IM and the 200-butterfly. In the 200-IM, Cabrera finished with a time of 2:10.92 and with a time of 2:07.99 in the 200-butterfly.
Senior Allison Lenda’s 2:09.17 time was good enough to finish atop of the competition in the 200-backstroke. As a team the Bonnies bested the Big Red in the 200-freestyle relay with a final time of 1:36.88.
While Bonaventure couldn’t secure the overall victory, first-year head coach Mike Smiechowski was content with how the Bonnies fared against Cornell.
“I thought we raced really well,” Smiechowski said. “We challenged them [Cornell] and hung with them until the second break. I’m really pleased with where we are and where we are racing at this point in the season being fatigued and tired.”
The 15 combined freshmen on both men’s and women’s squads have had to adapt to some fatigue competing at a collegiate level.
“Usually, freshmen have to handle a few things that they aren’t used to when it comes to swimming,” Smiechowski said. “They aren’t used to this kind of rigorous lifting routine and the grind of a college season is very different from high school where there are fewer races and less traveling.”
The meet against Cornell was more than just a typical meet. Both teams swam in honor of breast cancer awareness and the Pink Pumpkin Project Fund in Olean. Throughout Saturday’s “Pink Meet” the team sold pink gear with all proceeds going toward the Pink Pumpkin Project Fund.
This meet hit home for the Bonnies and its coaching staff, according to Smiechowski.
“This meet was in honor of our assistant coach Ethan Dale’s great-grandmother who battled breast cancer,” Smiechowski said. “It’s important for us to give back to the community, it’s a focal point for our program and an emphasis for what we are trying to do. It’s not only important to us to be successful at our sport but to be pillars in our community.”
According to Smiechowski, the team has raised over $1,200 for the Pink Pumpkin Fund.
With six meets down, the Bonnies are happy with where they are at as they look toward their upcoming competition.
“I believe that we are definitely better than where we were at this point last season,” Smiechowski said. “Where we are as far as where we are going, I think will be a true indicator at our meet in two weeks.”
Bonaventure’s next meet is in nine days when the Bonnies participate in the Cleveland State Invitational from Nov. 17-19.
halea22@bonaventure.edu
