“Wednesday was a tough meet for [the team],” admitted Head Coach Shannon O’Brien. “They were definitely fatigued. If we had all really hit it at the same time and swam well, we definitely could have beat them.”

Despite the losses, both squads enjoyed individual successes in the pool.

On the men’s side, senior captain Pat Fell broke a long-standing school record while winning the 1000-yard freestyle. With a time of 9:58.99, Fell eclipsed former Red Hawk Rob Unruh’s mark of 10:01.16 set in 1992. “I actually didn’t feel that good during the race,” Fell divulged sheepishly. “[But] when I got an indication from my counter that I was on pace to break the record at the halfway point, I decided to put my head down and go for it. It was a very painful race toward the end!” Fell also won the 500-yard freestyle and was part of the runner-up 400-yard medley relay quartet.

“Pat swam awesome,” added O’Brien. “That 1000 going under 10 minutes was a great swim.” She continued, “That [record] stood for a very long time, and there were a lot of people here who tried to beat that record, and he went off and did it.”

“The 1000 freestyle record is something that I’ve had my eye on since I got to RPI,” reflected Fell. “I consider it an honor to hold this school record.”

The Liberty League had its eye on Fell, naming him Men’s Co-Swimmer of the Week for the second time this season.

In addition to Fell’s record-breaking day, sophomore diver Greg Derevianko set two school records of his own. “It feels amazing,” declared Derevianko of his performances in the one-meter and three-meter dives. “When I first came here I never thought I would be able to touch those scores.” The previous records for both events were held by Mark Pollander, who accomplished the feats in 1987.

Derevianko not only won the one-meter and three-meter diving events with record scores, but also made NCAA cuts on both boards. “Making [cuts] on both boards helps,” O’Brien explained of her diver’s chances of making the final field of 21 for nationals. “I think it looks pretty good right now, and from what [Diving coach] Maria [Coomaraswamy-Falkenstein] says it looks pretty good, but you never know.” Derevianko was cautiously optimistic about his chances, “This is a totally new process for me, so I really don’t know what to expect. I think I have a decent chance [and] it’s a really exciting opportunity, but I don’t really want to get my hopes up.”

Derevianko also received accolades from the Liberty League as he was named Men’s Diver of the Week for the third time this season.

Also scoring for the men were sophomore Mike Scibelli, and freshmen Matt Hiltner and Kevin Sheridan. Scibelli continued his solid spring semester with a win in the 200-yard breaststroke, a second place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, and a third place finish in the 500-yard freestyle.

Hiltner and Sheridan combined for six second place finishes. They each joined Fell on the 400-yard medley relay team, with Hiltner adding personal seconds in the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard butterfly, and Sheridan tallying his in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle races. “They’ve worked real hard and they’ve brought a lot to this team,” boasted O’Brien of her star freshmen.

For the women, diver Melissa Hershey continued her stellar senior campaign, coming in second in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events. “She had a great meet,” O’Brien said of the women’s team captain. Also enjoying success were sophomore Karel Schnebele and freshman Oya White. Schnebele posted second place finishes in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, and 400-yard freestyle relay. White joined Schnebele on the 400-yard freestyle relay squad, and added another second in the 50-yard freestyle and a third in the 100-yard freestyle.

Even with both teams falling to Union, Coach O’Brien isn’t concerned with where her Red Hawks stand. “I don’t think it’s a big deal [that we lost the meet] because February is our main goal right now,” O’Brien confessed. “It’s hard coming off a training trip and trying to race. Once we start resting, I think that’s when things are going to come together. It’s not an excuse, but we should be okay.”

On Saturday, the women were back in action as they hosted the RPI Invitational at Robison Pool. The Red Hawk women compiled 397.5 points, edging out William Smith by half a point for third place.

“I knew William Smith was going to be our big competitor and that’s who we focused on for the meet,” explained Coach O’Brien. “It worked out well. I was pleased with the way we swam for the ladies coming off Wednesday.”

Once again, Hershey and Schnebele led the way for the Red Hawks. Hershey posted a second place finish in the one-meter dive and won the three-meter dive. She not only won the three-meter event with a school record score, but also came one step closer to competing at nationals on both boards. “She’s scored the past two years at nationals, so that probably helps her a little more,” O’Brien said in regard to Hershey’s chances of making the female final field. “There’s a very good chance [she’ll make it], but you never know what else is out there in the country.”

Schnebele continued her streak of second place finishes, as the sophomore tallied seconds in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle races. “Karel swam very well in both meets,” praised O’Brien.

The 16-2 men and the 9-9 women hit the lanes again this Saturday, as they welcome Skidmore to Robison Pool. The Thoroughbreds have had a tough season, with the men yet to record a team victory and the women only grabbing one win so far this season.