The RPI swimming & diving team enjoyed arguably their best weekend of the season on Sunday as they took on the Vassar Brewers. The Red Hawk men nearly doubled up a depleted Vassar squad, winning 124-64, and the women stole a close one, 123-113, for their first victory of the year.
The women’s team has been swimming well all season, but until now could not pull off a win as they have competed against schools with much deeper rosters. With the Liberty League championship looming, they picked the right time to get the proverbial monkey off their backs.
“They were very happy with the win,” declared Head Coach Shannon O’Brien of the women’s team in an e-mail. “They knew it was going to be a tough meet and they stepped up.”
Freshman swimmer Sara Orndorff echoed the sentiment. “I am so glad that we got it,” she said. “It was so close, so we didn’t know until the very, very end. Everybody was so anxious.”
Orndorff proved to be one of the major reasons for the victory as she posted three individual wins. The Charlotte, N.C., native came in first in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200- and 500-yard freestyles.
The Liberty League recognized Orndorff’s breakout performance, naming her Co-Swimmer of the Week. She is one of only two freshmen to earn that honor this season.
O’Brien pointed out one of Orndorff’s victories in particular as a key to the team’s win. She commented, “I think the clincher was Orndorff winning the 200 freestyle and [junior Karel] Schnebele winning the 100 freestyle.” O’Brien added, “They both touched out Vassar’s top female [in those events], Emily Love.”
Schnebele, a co-captain, also chipped in with a second-place finish in the 1650-yard freestyle. In addition to that, she also swam the opening leg for the runner-up 200-yard freestyle relay quartet.
On the men’s side, the big story was junior diver Greg Derevianko. Derevianko not only won both the one- and three-meter diving events, but he set a school—and pool—record in the one-meter with a score of 262.30. That score also earned him the right to submit a videotape to be considered for the NCAA championships in March.
“He is diving very well,” praised O’Brien. “He is much more confident than last year.” Last year, Derevianko earned All-American status in the one-meter at the national meet. In comparing last year to this year, O’Brien also commented, “I think he is way ahead of where he was at this point last year.”
While Derevianko dominated the diving boards, senior swimmer Bryan Geiger led the way in the lanes. Geiger won the 50-yard freestyle. He also swam the second leg for the victorious 200-yard medley relay team and the anchor leg for the also-triumphant 200-yard freestyle relay squad.
With the sweep, the men’s team stays unbeaten at 4-0 and the women move to 1-3. Both squads will now enjoy three weeks off before their next competition, the Liberty League Championship. The men will be looking for a repeat as champions, while the women will be looking to improve on last year’s middle-of-the-pack finish.
“I think we’ll do well at Liberty Leagues and the rest of the year,” predicted Orndorff. “I think everybody is swimming really great right now.”
O’Brien is a little more hesitant in her predictions. “Let’s just say it is not going to be easy to defend the men’s title,” she said, adding, “And the women’s league has only gotten better and faster freshmen.”
