ONEONTA, N.Y. – This afternoon the Brandeis Men's and Women's swim and dive teams traveled to Hartwick College for the 16th annual Hartwick Relays. Both Judges' teams won in their first meet of the season. The men's team won with scores of Brandeis 132, Hartwick College 110, Le Moyne College 90, SUNY Oneonta 60, College of Saint Rose 44, Utica University 8, and Delhi 4. The women's team won with scores of Brandeis 140, Le Moyne College 98, SUNY Oneonta 80, College of Saint Rose 48, Hartwick College 42, Utica University 18, and Delhi 2.
On the women's side, the Judges swept the meet with their A Relays winning every event. Standout performers on the day included junior Monica Iizuka (Chatham, N.J. / Chatham) and first-year Jasmine Huang (Monterey Park, Calif. / Mark Keppel). Iizuka was joined by sophomore Anastasia Bekou (Limassol, Cyprus / Laniteio Lyceum) and junior Maya Haubrich (Grayslake, Ill. / Grayslake) on the 3x100 Backstroke relay that won with a time of 3:05.31.
Iizuka and Huang also teamed up on the 400 Medley, 200 Medley, and 800 Medley relays. In the 400, Iizuka and Huang were joined by senior Bailey Gold (Berkeley Heights, N.J. / Governor Livingston) and sophomore Chloe Gonzalez (Miami Beach, Fla. / Miami Beach Senior) to win with a time of 4:09.58. In the 200, Iizuka, Huang, and Gold were joined by senior Ema Rennie (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Scioto) to win with a time of 1:53.98. In the 800, Iizuka, Huang, and Gold teamed up with first-year Jenna Wild (Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Township) to win with a time of 9:13.95. Huang also led off the 3x100 Breaststroke relay, followed up by first-year Becca Kaplan (Fairfax, Va. / Robinson Secondary School) and sophomore Eva Parson (Milford, Mass. / Milford) to win with a time of 3:42.01.
On the men's side, the Judges almost completed the sweep, winning eight out of 10 relays. Standout performers on the day included sophomore Ryan Schulken (Waxhaw, N.C. / Marvin Ridge) and first-year Benjamin Lee (Upton, Mass. / Nipmuc Regional).
Schulken, joined by senior Benton Ferebee (Memphis, Tenn. / Memphis University School), first-year Eric Xiao (College Station, Texas / AM Consolidated), and sophomore Gerald Deng (Rego Park, N.Y. / Bronx Science), took home the win in the 400 Medley relay with a time of 3:43.91. Schulken and Ferebee were also joined by junior Sam Dienstag (Wilmette, Ill. / New Trier) and first-year Solomon Skelton-Harris (Golden Valley, Minn. / Robbinsdale Armstrong) in the 400 Free relay, winning in come-from-behind fashion with a time of 3:19.53.
Lee was joined by Xiao, Dienstag, and senior James Smith (Lexington, Mass. / Lexington) for the 850 Crescendo Relay with the group winning in a time of 7:41.01, over 30 seconds in front of the next finisher. Lee also teamed up with Dienstag, Deng, and sophomore Andrew Ngo (San Gabriel, Calif. / Gabrielino) for the 800 Medley relay to win with a time of 8:21.98. Lee, Xiao, and Ngo teamed up one last time for the 3x100 Breaststroke relay, winning in a time of 3:06.06.
Both teams are back in action next Saturday, October 22 at 1 PM when they travel back to New York to face Vassar College.
-- by Benton Ferebee '23