MIT prepares for NEWMACs
Swimming and diving finish the season strong
The top-10 battle between No. 6 MIT and No. 7 Amherst lived up to its billing on Jan. 28 at the Z-Center on the MIT campus. With a dramatic victory in the final event, the 400 free relay, MIT came out on top by a score of 153-144. With the victory, MIT improved its dual meet record to 8-0 this season.
Coming into the final relay the score was knotted at 140-140, freshman Michelle M. Cunningham led off the relay for MIT and put the Engineers on top by a half second with her 53.93 first leg. But Amherst battled back, taking a slight lead as sophomore Christine K. Rogers hit the water for the anchor leg. It came right down to the wire as Rogers just out touched Amherst’s Katie Vincett by 0.04 seconds to give MIT the win.
Anna S. Kokensparger ’13 was the only MIT swimmer to win multiple individual events, taking three victories for the Engineers. Her first came in the 200 fly, in which she clocked a 2:07.75. She then came back late in the meet to take the 100 fly as well, turning in a time of 57.43, finishing with a win in the 200 IM, touching the wall in 2:08.88. Kokensparger was also part of the victorious 200 medley relay that started off the meet with a 1:47.42 winning time.
Calley L. Murphy ’14 picked up a key win in the 100 breaststroke, turning in her second-best time of her career with a 1:06.89. Individually, Rogers started her day with a second-place in the 100 backstroke and then led a key 1-2-3 MIT finish in the 200 backstroke with an effort of 2:06.02. Katelyn M. Rossick ’14 and Jane W. He ’15 completed the key sweep of the top three spots for the Engineers.
He turned in a strong day for MIT, going under the one-minute mark in the 100 backstroke and picking up a clutch fourth-place finish in the 200 IM with a season best time of 2:14.67.
In the diving events Elise A. Stave ’13 took second in both the one and three-meter competitions, with Mia N. Stevens ’14 edging out Claire Wagner from Amherst by a point for third in the three-meter competition.
In the last meet of the regular season the No. 6 MIT Women’s Swimming and Diving team came up with nine wins at the Wheaton Invitational on Feb. 4. Kokensparger picked up three individual victories to lead the way for the Engineers.
Kokensparger picked up her first two wins early in the day, taking back-to-back events. The first was the 100 backstroke in which she came home first with a time of 1:01.40. She then turned around and turned in a 1:09.26 effort to win the 100 breaststroke. Win No. 3 came later in the meet when she stretched out to a longer distance, capturing the 500 free in a time of 5:15.19.
A double winner for MIT was Rogers who downed the competition in the 200 breaststroke with a clocking of 2:29.62. She then came back to take the 200 IM with a winning time of 2:11.14.
Other winners for the Engineers were Rossick and He and Taylor M. Pearl ’15. Rossick took the 100 fly with a time of 1:00.35, while He won the 400 IM in 4:49.13 and Pearl turning in a 2:17.93 in the 200 backstroke. Senior Qing Li was solid all day for MIT, taking second in the 200 backstroke in 2:18.82 and placing in the top-five in the 100 backstroke and 50 free time trial.
Next up for MIT will be the NEWMAC Championships which the Engineers will host beginning on Feb. 17.