STATEN ISLAND, NY - The Hunter Hawks swimming team won an exciting showdown against the CSI Dolphins on Friday night, winning their seventh meet in a row 125-112.
"Tonight we swam against the best team we've seen all year," said co-head coach Scott Bintner.
"With twice the lanes we have at our home meets, Coach Netti and I used this as an opportunity to get competitive swims in for some of our athletes needing more experience in their off events," said Bintner.
The meet started with the Hawks sweeping the Medley Relays, with all three teams topping the Dolphins lone relay.
Amanda Iken pulled away at the 400 yard mark in the 1000 free, coming in with a season best time, and the win. Christina Valente finished 4th, shattering her personal best time by 25 seconds. Jessica Lou swam for second place in the 200 free, with Niky Wu and Christina Chu finishing 4th and 5th in their first time swimming the event this season. The Hawks then rallied in the 200 IM, with Alexandra Rubiano winning and Kelly Xue charging through the final 50 to catch and out touch the Dolphins top swimmer in the event to take 2nd place in a season best time. Emily DiPaola also swam a season best time to take 4th, leaving the Hawks with a 58-35 lead going into the 1 meter diving event. Rubiano and Lindsey Pero came back after the diving break by going 1-2 in the 100 Butterfly. Collazo, Kelly Xue and V. Xue swept the 100 Freestyle putting the score at 73-55.
Goco and Wu went 1st and 3rd in the 100 Backstroke extending the Hawks lead to 101-65.
After another diving break, Carla Canning put in a great race in the 100 Breaststroke going for her season and personal best and lowering the school record again, yet she took second place; with Lou finishing 3rd. The Dolphins saved their top 50 Freestyle swimmers for the 200 Free relay, which was just enough to outpace the Hawks, who went 2-3 in the relay; McKie, Pero, McEvoy Lee and Vanessa Xue taking 2nd place.
"Ending the first half of the season 7-0 against some good teams is a great way to start out, but the true test comes after the break, as our first meets will be against some of the toughest competition we will face all year," said coach Bintner.
