By AJ Mercincavage
The swimming and diving team defeated UMass Saturday, extending its win streak and record to 7-0.
“After a long three-day meet at Boston University, we all managed to have good swims and beat UMass,” said sophomore distance freestyler Emily Sutliff. “We have all really come together as a team and we hope to finish the season strong.”
Sutliff finished first in both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle events.
Event winners also included junior Elena Alvarez, sophomores Kathrine Fugge and Alexis Kalevich, senior Kara Lane and freshman Carolyn Marsh.
Alvarez won both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, while Fugge swept the short distance freestyle events with wins in the 50, 100 and 200. Freshman Carolyn Marsh made her mark against UMass with a first place finish in the 100-yard backstroke and a second place in the 200.
The Joseph Rogers Pool in Amherst cannot accommodate diving, forcing one- and three-meter diving results to be taken from the recent Terrier Invitational, which both Northeastern and UMass competed in.
UMass swept Northeastern in both diving events with these results, but the deficit proved too small to stop the Huskies.
The Northeastern women tallied 11 total wins during the meet’s 16 events on their way to victory.
At 6-0 in dual meets this season, the team is just three victories away from matching the fabled 2001-02 undefeated season. That team finished 9-0 in dual meetings, with a 3-0 America East record, the team’s conference at the time.
This year’s team is currently 2-0 in division meets, with only one conference opponent left to face.
The three dual meets that remain on the team’s schedule are against James Madison, Dartmouth and Boston University.
BU placed third at the recent Terrier Invitational, a three-day meet Northeastern won.
Despite being on pace for one of the best seasons in the swimming program’s last nine years, the Huskies are savoring their victory over UMass and preparing for a well-earned training trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico.
“It was a strong meet,” said co-captain Lane. “And now we are looking forward to heading to Puerto Rico, where we train, and compete in December. It’s been a phenomenal senior year with the team. To be undefeated after seven meets is something that we are really enjoying and taking a lot of pride in. This team has been working so hard and I am so happy to see the hard [work] paying off.”
The Huskies will travel to Ponce for a week-long training trip before returning to competition in January with a two-day Colonial Athletic Association meet against James Madison.
