CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Bentley University men's and women's swimming teams opened their season Saturday with three seconds, five thirds and five fourths during the Charlie Batterman Relays at MIT.
The seconds were both recorded by the women's teams. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, senior Monika Drogosz (Unionville, Conn./Farmington HS) combined with sophomores Nadine Edwards (Danbury, Conn./Danbury HS), Danielle Hellstern (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) and Kaitlyn Simoneau (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South HS) for a time of 3:49.51.
The other came in the 400 freestyle individual medley relay, with senior All-America Jessica Hodsdon (Brewer, Maine/Brewer HS) swimming the first leg. She was followed into the pool by juniors Amanda Le (Chelmsford/Chelmsford HS) and Caroline Lewis (Westfield/Westfield HS), with senior captain Taryn Dooley (Feeding Hills/Agawam HS) closing for an overall time of 4:23.92.
Hodsdon was also part of three relays that finished third and one that placed fourth in the meet that also included Roger Williams and Wheaton College. She handled the third leg in the 200 medley relay (1:55.29), led off in the 500 free relay (4:58.29) and was second into the pool in the 200 breaststroke (2:15.53), with those three all taking thirds. She finished in the 200 fly with Bentley's 1:54.48 good for fourth.
Edwards, Le and Hellstern were each part of four relays that placed in the top four, and Drogosz, Dooley, Lewis and freshman Lindsey Goodwin (Staten Island, N.Y./Notre Dame Acad.) were part of three.
The highest finish by the Bentley men's team, in a meet dominated by the host team, was a third in the 200 backstroke relay. The quartet of sophomore Josh Witty (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS), junior Chris Woods (Westfield/Westfield HS) and freshmen Tim Connolly (Dorchester/Boston Latin School) and Sebastian Bury (Bellevue, Wash./Newport Senior HS) combined for a time of 1:46.31.
Seniors Mike Culkin (Avon, Conn./Avon HS), Ben Demeule (Fall River/Durfee HS) and Mike Simoneau (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South HS) teamed with sophomore Andrew Langin (Cumberland, R.I./Mt. St. Charles Acad.) for a fourth in the 200 butterfly relay (1:42.80). In the 1500 freestyle relay, Bentley was also fourth with the all-freshman trio of Kevin Diefenbach (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert HS), Owen Karl (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton HS) and Alex Liulakis (Tenafly, N.J./Tenafly HS) posting a time of 15:55.58.
Bentley opens its dual schedule at home against Le Moyne College next Saturday.
