COLCHESTER, Vt. – The Norwich University men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams posted a split in a 32-event day of competition at Saint Michael’s College on Saturday in both teams’ first meets since Thanksgiving break.

The Norwich men coasted to a 200-100 win over the Purple Knights, while the women suffered a 178-116 setback to Saint Michael’s.

“I am proud of this team,” Head Coach Jennifer Cournoyer said.  “It is a challenging time of the season and everyone on the team stepped up for our last meet of the semester.  We will now refocus and adjust our training to reach our individual and team goals.”

The men found success immediately, courtesy of a 1:40.78 time from the 200-yard medley relay team comprised of Adrian Riendeau (Ridgecrest, Calif.), Will Thompson (Downington, Pa.), Derek Furtado (Plymouth, Mass.), and Michael Cowenhoven (Fairfield, Conn.) to give Norwich a quick early edge.  The women would get on the board shortly afterwards, with Hannah Shaner (Gilbertsville, Pa.) picking up the Cadets’ first individual win of the meet in the 200-yard freestyle on a 2:07.30 effort.

Riendeau would hand the men their first of several individual victories just mere events later, posting a 58.01 in the 100-yard backstroke.  Thompson’s 1:01.70 secured Norwich the 100-yard breaststroke, before Benjamin Stark (Montverde, Fla.) earned a dominant victory in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2:00.53.

Martin Adlianitski (Cheshire, Conn.) would close out Norwich’s success before the first diving event, narrowly taking the 50-yard freestyle by three milliseconds over the Knights’ William Sullivan. Aidan Grady (Sandwich, Mass.) coasted to a 152.60 score in the 1-meter diving competition.

Nikky Avise (Owen Cross Roads, Ala.) subsequently secured her second individual victory, after scooping up the 50-yard freestyle just minutes prior, topping SMC’s Margaret Wilk in the 100-yard freestyle with a 54.82 time.  Stark, Shaner, and Adlianitski closed out Norwich’s streak of five-straight first-place finishes with wins in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstrokes, respectively.

Thompson and Stark continued their tear with wins in the 200-yard breaststroke and 500-yard freestyle, while Avise logged her third win in impressive fashion in the 100-yard butterfly. Reilly Laitala (Sterling, Mass.) and Grady would hand Norwich a pair of wins in the women’s and men’s 1-meter diving competitions, respectively.

Arty Abrams wrapped up Norwich’s wins on the morning, topping his teammate Cowenhoven in the 200-yard IM by just six milliseconds in the 30th of 32 events.

The Norwich men’s swimming & diving team will return to action soon, with qualified team members traveling to Miami, Fla. for the FIU Open Water Championship on Sunday, Dec. 18.  The team will then look ahead to January, when the women’s swimming & diving team will also next be back in Goodyear Pool for Senior Day against Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, Jan. 14.