By Heather Fabritze
Student Life Editor
The Shoremen and Shorewomen swim teams carried out a triumphant win against McDaniel College’s Green Terror in their home opener on Saturday, Nov. 12.
The Shorewomen’s record now stands at 2-4 after winning six of their 11 individual events. The men’s team, comparably, won nine of their 11 individual events, marking a 2-3 record.
Sophomores Emily Iamperi and Kylee Smith and junior Kenley Hewitt led the Shorewomen’s 153-47 win. Iampieri took first in both of her individual events, the 50 yard freestyle and 500 yard freestyle. Smith and Iampieri tied for first in the 500 yard freestyle with a shared time of 5:29.00.
Smith also scored first in the 200 yard individual medley and took second in the 200 yard butterfly. Like Smith, Hewitt placed in all of her individual events, scoring at the top of the podium for the 100 yard breaststroke and taking third for the 100 yard freestyle.
Junior Kennedy Jones continued the Shorewomen’s domination by winning the 100 yard freestyle.
All of the women’s relay teams in both the 200 yard medley and the 400 yard freestyle surpassed their McDaniel competitors.
Senior and team captain Gage Mandrell, junior Bianti Danaj, and sophomores Chase Hensen and Zach Affeldt led the Shoremen, who clinched both of their team events in their 160-71 win, in points.
Mandrell took first in all three of his individual events, conquering McDaniel in the 100 yard breaststroke, 100 yard freestyle, and 500 yard freestyle. Danaj also won all of his events at the meet, which included the 100 yard backstroke and 100 yard butterfly.
Affeldt took second in the 200 yard backstroke and first in the 200 yard freestyle, with Hensen finishing closely after. Hensen was at the top of the podium in the 50 yard freestyle.
Freshman Joey Bond also placed in all of his events, winning the 200 yard breaststroke and placing third for the 100 yard backstroke.
Sophomore Will Schmidt took home another win for the Shoremen in the 200 yard backstroke.
Their triumphant win marks the men’s and women’s swim teams’ first since their season opener against Dickinson College. The meet also marks the LGBTQ+ Athlete Club’s second Pride event of the year and the first to involve collaboration with the swim teams.
According to club member senior Kate Ruppert, following the success of their first Pride game with women’s soccer, the LGBTQ+ Athlete’s executive board decided to expand their efforts to other sports.
Ruppert said that the “amazing support” they have received from athletes, allies, and parents since their first event has provided encouragement for them.
The club ran a table at the doors to the Casey Swim Center, handing out Pride stickers, tattoos, and flags as attendees entered. Parents, students, and swimmers alike could be seen during the meet wearing the merch provided.
Swimmer and member of LGBTQ+ Athletes sophomore Emily Iampieri said that she loved the unusual turnout the meet received.
“It was nice to see a lot of people in the stands,” Iampieri said. “And even McDaniel was really into the spirit, like they all had their [Pride] tattoos on and I think the team was really excited about it.”
Swimmer and club member sophomore CJ Dunker said that she enjoyed seeing the pool decorated in Pride flags and the passionate enthusiasm from the audience.
“Swimming is a tough sport, especially for transgender athletes, and so seeing the support by the campus really brought me up and it showed in my results from today,” Dunker said.
At the meet, most of the men’s and women’s swim teams swam in their off-events. According to swimmer junior Justin Fitzpatrick, this gave the team a chance to test their scores against one another and build competition prior to mid-season.
“I didn’t really swim any [events] that I’d be swimming at our mid-season meet or conferences,” Fitzpatrick said. “But it was good to kind of get more diversity with what I swim.”
The Shoremen and Shorewomen will return to their regular events in their away meet on Saturday, Nov. 19 against St. Mary’s College of Maryland.