Full Results
The Lehman College men's and women's swimming and diving teams returned to the pool on Friday as the teams welcomed the College of Staten Island Dolphins to the APEX Aquatics Center for a pair of CUNYAC meets. The Lehman men (1-7 Overall, 0-1 CUNYAC) fell to the Dolphins (6-1 Overall, 3-0 CUNYAC) by a score of 133-108, but the Lightning women were victorious (4-6 Overall, 3-1 CUNYAC), downing Staten Island (3-6 Overall, 1-3 CUNYAC) by a final of 141-90.
In the victory for the Lehman women, the Lightning came out with tremendous intensity and made an immediate impact as the 200 yard medley relay team of Adriana Navarrete, Jessica Espinal, Jessica Drenzyk, and Jillian Acevedo easily cruised to victory, finishing the competition at a time of 2:26.76. Also, it was Judy Espinal winning both sprint freestyle events while setting a new school standard in the 50 freestyle with a 26.96 lead-off leg in the meet's final event, the 200 Freestyle Relay. Other notable wins came from Luisa Garcia in the 100 Backstroke, and Tanaka Nyemba in the 500 Freestyle. The Lightning women now have the second best conference record in CUNY, second only to Baruch who sits 5-0 in CUNYAC competition.
As for the Lehman men, the Lightning struggled on the afternoon, but there were some terrific performances put together. Diver Joaquin Cruz won the one-meter diving event by posting a score of 186.75, and Orlando Urena claimed victory in the men's 100 yard backstroke, finishing that competition in a time of 1:07.50. Following the meet, Lehman College head coach Peter Kiernan gave his thoughts on the meet.
“I'm very proud of the way our women competed and executed this afternoon” Kiernan said. “We really have turned a corner this year and I feel as though we're peaking at the right time. We have a relatively new team this year, and the swimmers have great chemistry in and out of the pool. They really support each other. As for our women, there certainly is room for improvement. It is my hope that we'll iron out some kinks and be ready for the championships in a few weeks.”
The Lehman College swimming and diving teams will return to the pool on Tuesday evening as the units travel to York College for a pair of conference meets with the Cardinals. Meet-time is scheduled for 7:00pm.
