EAST MEADOW, NY – Top times in the 50 free and an impressive diving performance highlighted a day of impressive performances for Siena Swimming & Diving, as the Saints began competition at the 2022 ECAC Winter Championships at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in East Meadow, New York.
Through one day of competition at the team's first ECAC event since 2019, the Saints sit in seventh place with 204 points. Opening day action featured competition in the 200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 50 free, 500 free, 200 IM, and one-meter diving.
Senior Rory Kalac continued to build on her solid fourth season in Green and Gold, racing to a new personal best time of 23.67 in the 50 free preliminary and then improving to 23.52 in the final to finish fourth and remain second all-time in the event, now just four hundredths of a second off of the school record. Freshman Kaci Owens entered the Program All-Time Top-Ten List in the 50 free with a 24.59 during the preliminary round, marking her first entry onto a top ten list this season.
The Saints' 200 free relay team of Kalac, Owens, sophomore Shaylea Triller, and sophomore Kylie Carter came within seconds of the school record in the event, finishing sixth with a time of 1:36.76. The 400 medley relay squad of freshman Brooke Pociask, junior Audrey Shultz, senior Elisabeth Balicanta, and Triller took 13th in the event with a season best time of 3:58.69.
Junior Talia Spenziero highlighted Siena's participation in the one-meter diving, placing second with a score of 230.30. Senior Lydia Delano finished eighth with a mark of 175.65.
Siena finished the day with Kalac (50 free), Owens (50 free), Carter (50 free) and senior Reilly King (500 free) each advancing to the final heats in their respective events, while 13 Saints turned in collegiate best times.
Kalac, Owens, Carter (24.65), Triller (24.69), Balicanta (25.09), freshman Mya Reed (25.28), Pociask (25.40), and senior Maggie Caputo (25.98) all did so in the 50 free, while freshman Grace Neno went for a personal best time in the 500 free (5:26.74). Additionally, freshman Tori Spacciapolli (2:12.93) Shultz (2:13.07), and sophomore Olivia Martin (2:17.83) each went for best times in the 200 IM.
Siena will continue action at the ECAC Winter Championships on Saturday, December 3, with preliminaries set for 9 AM and finals at 6 PM.
