WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University swimming and diving teams opened their dual-meet season in fine fashion today, as the Judges swept the visiting Vassar College Brewers, winning 25 of 32 events on the day. The Judge men won by a score of 182-89, while the women were 146-121 victors. Both Brandeis teams are now 1-0 on the season.
"The last two meets were three years in the making," said head coach Nicole Carter on the wins. "The team has worked tirelessly to develop a level of trust and comradery that allows them to work to their fullest potential and achieve our values of Grit, Grind, and Gratitude."
Leading the way for the Judges was sophomore All-American Sam Dienstag (Wilmette, Ill. / New Trier), who won three individual freestyle races and one relay. He captured the 200-yard free in 1:46.49 by a margin of 0.38 seconds; the 500 in 4:46.96 by a margin of about eight seconds; and the 1,000 in 9:52.98 by a whopping 20 seconds. He also swam the second leg of the winning 4x100 free relay.
First-year Andrew Ngo (San Gabriel, Calif. / Gabrielino) was also part of four wins for the men, two individual and two relays. His individual wins came in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.37 seconds, and the 200-yard individual medley, where his mark of 1:59.69 was just outside of Brandeis's all-time Top 10. He also swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays.
The men had two other multiple winners in individual events, seniors Brendon Lu (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Ridge) and Benton Ferebee (Germantown, Tenn. / Memphis University School). Lu won the breaststroke events, taking the 100 in 1:00.25 and the 200 in 2:12.37, ranking him eighth and seventh, respectively, among Brandeis's career Top 10. Ferebee swept the backstroke events, taking the 100 in 55.71 seconds and the 200 in 2:04.71.
Other individual race winners were first-year Gerald Deng (Rego Park, N.Y. / Bronx High School of Science) in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:01.20; sophomore George Zhu (Sydney, Australia / Knox Grammar) in the 50 freestyle in 21.33 seconds, winning by a margin of a 0.98 seconds; and junior James Barno (Ballston Spa, N.Y. / Ballston Spa) in the 100 fly in 53.75 seconds.
The Judges' winning relays were the 200-yard medley relay, swam by Ngo, Lu, Deng and Zhu, which finished with a time of 1:38.38, and the 400 free relay, where the team of Zhu, Dienstag, sophomore Ido Petel (New York, N.Y. / Frank McCourt) and Ngo won with a time of 3:15.86.
On the women's side, junior Bailey Gold (Berkeley Heights, N.J. / Governor Livingston) was the Judges' lone swimmer to win three races. Individually, she took the 100-yard butterfly in 59.53, and the 200 in 2:11.93, and was part of the winning 200 medley relay team.
First-year Chloe Gonzalez (Miami Beach, Fla. / Miami Beach Senior) won two individual races. She took the 200 free in 1:59.41, ninth on the all-time list, and the 100 free in 55.17 seconds.
The Judges' single-race winners included senior Abbie Etzweiler (Malvern, Pa. / Great Valley) in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 11:58.53; junior Ema Rennie (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Scioto) in the 50 free with a time of 25.62 second, a 0.15 second margin over Gonzalez; sophomore Abbie Murphy (Florence, Mass. / Northampton) in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:40.56, winning by four seconds; and senior Gazelle Umbay (North Hills, Calif. / Sierra Canyon School) in the 500-yard free with a time of 5:39.70 for a three-second margin of victory.
The Judges also took the 200-yard medley relay behind the team of first-year Anastasia Bekou (Limassol, Cyprus / Laniteio Lyceum), senior Olivia Stebbins (Willington, Conn. / Edwin O. Smith), Gold and Rennie, who swam 1:53.51 to finish 1.17 seconds ahead of Vassar.
The Judges return to action on Friday evening, November 5, at WPI for a dual meet with the Engineers and Babson at 7 p.m.