SWIMMING

Men
The men’s swimming and diving team competed at the Middlebury Invitational last weekend, posting strong showings as they gear up for championship meets in the coming weeks. Led by first-year sensation Rishi Kowalski, the Jeffs look primed for a run at the NESCAC championship — a title that in recent years has remained just out of reach and in the possession of nemesis Williams.

On top of winning the 200 IM in 1:56.13, Kowalski also touched the wall first in the 200 back (51.87) and the 400 medley relay (3:32.04). Other notable Jeffs from the meet were Connor Sholtis ’15, who won the 100 free in 46.96, and Sam Stewart ’16, who took first in the 100 fly in a time of 50.48. Fellow first-year Matt Heise won ther 200-yard fly (1:55.93).

On the boards, the Jeffs were equally impressive, finishing one-two-three in the 1-meter dive. Colin White ’14 (489.95), Asher Lichtig ’16 (486.05) and Mark Idleman ’15 (483.65), who finished in that order, have been dominant all season and an important piece in the overall team’s success, securing vital diving points that add to the team’s cumulative score.

After a busy Friday night and Saturday at Middlebury, the men’s team had little time to rest, traveling south to Springfield College to face off with the Pride in a dual meet. Wrapping up its regular season with its sixth win of the season, the Jeffs topped Springfield 164-121.

Women
Not to be outdone by their male counterparts, the women’s swimming and diving team also excelled over the weekend, topping Springfield in a duel meet to finish its regular season 7-1 after competing in the women’s half of the Middlebury Invitational. The women, who also finished runner-up to Williams last season, also seem to be hitting their stride as they prepare for their championship meets.

At Middlebury, Lulu Belak ’14 swam on three winning relay teams (200, 400 and 800 free) and also took third individually in the 100 free. Sabrina Lee ’15, who swam on two of Belak’s winning relay teams, also took home gold in the 100 back (1:00.23) while first-year Lee Stevens won the 200 back in a time of 2:12.30. On the board, junior Lizzy Linsmayer continued to shine, winning the 1-meter dive with a score of 468.65.

Both the men’s and women’s teams return to the pool on Feb. 15-17 at Bowdoin for the NESCAC Championships

TRACK & FIELD

Men
The Jeffs placed fourth out of eight at Part II of the Springfield College Invitational on a weekend marked by several stellar individual performances.

The Amherst squad was also able to beat its only NESCAC competitor in the event, Trinity, by a decisive 44 points. It was Matt Melton ’14 who stole the show in the short game, finishing the 500-meter dash in 1:06.06, more than two seconds ahead of his closest competitor.

The Jeffs were also well-represented in the middle distances, as Romey Sklar ’15 took home the 800-meter event with sophomore Matt Woop ’15 coming in third. But the Amherst squad saved its best for the 3000-meter run, where Andrew Erskine ’13 and Charlie Reighard ’14 grabbed the one-two spots. Finally, the Jeffs also enjoyed success in the Distance Medley, where Woop, Melton, Pat Grimes ’13 and Judd Liebman ’16 led the pack.

Next weekend will be a big one for the Jeffs, who have two meets to look forward to: the Valentine Classic at Boston Univ. and the Tufts Invitational, both taking place on Saturday, Feb. 9.

Women
While it was a solid weekend for the men, it was a downright exceptional weekend for the Amherst women, who took home first place at Part II of the Springfield College Invitational.

With 222 points, the Lady Jeffs dominated the field, finishing 67 points ahead of their closest competitor. Not surprisingly, senior standout Keri Lambert had a hand in the victory, posting the nation’s fourth-lowest time of the year en route to a win in the 5000-meter event.

Perhaps even more impressive, however, was the performance of Naomi Bates ’14, who won three events: the 60-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the long jump, where she managed to break her own school record. Other Amherst top finishers on the weekend were Lauren Almeida ’13 in the 800-meter dash, Sarah Daly ’13 in the 3000-meter event, Jessica Mueller ’13 in the high jump and the distance medley team (Almeida, Amy Dao ’14, Sarah Foster ’16 and Betsy Black ’16).
The Lady Jeffs look to ride their momentum into next weekend’s meets at Boston Univ. and Tufts.