Freshman Trio Leads St. Mary’s in Season-Opening Win
Rachel Hotchko
Washington, D.C. - Three wins each from freshmen Melanie Bloch (Bethesda, Md./French International), Maddie Casey (Rockville, Md./T.S. Wootton) and Kelly Heyde (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) propelled the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's swim team to a 137-68 season-opening win over Catholic University Friday evening.
The Seahawks (1-0) captured all but two events as Catholic (0-1) claimed the 100 breast (Lisa Brooks, 1:08.43) and the 100 back (Mary Kate Connelly, 1:06.08).
Bloch notched a first-place finish in the 50 free in 25.83 while swimming the final legs of the first-place 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Casey nabbed three gold medals in her collegiate debut as she claimed first in the 200 free in 2:06.15 and the 100 free in 58.82 while swimming the first leg of the first-place 200 free relay.
Heyde had a stellar performance as well in her first collegiate meet as she captured the 1000 free (10:53.97), the 200 IM (2:13.24), and the 500 free (5:22.19).
Joining Bloch on the winning 200 medley relay were team captains Monika Disque (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) and Sofia Sokolove (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) and senior Rachel Hotchko (Yakima, Wash./A.C. Davis).
Joining Casey and Bloch on the first-place 200 free relay were sophomore Christine DiMenna (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) and freshman Joanna Purich (Silver Spring, Md./Blake).
The Seahawks were 1-2-3 in the 100 fly as Hotchko led the way in 1:00.30 while senior captain Anna Chiplis (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) was second in 1:04.21 and DiMenna came in third in 1:06.30.
The Seahawks were 1-2-3 in the 100 fly as Hotchko led the way in 1:00.30 while senior captain Anna Chiplis (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) was second in 1:04.21 and sophomore Christine DiMenna (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) came in third in 1:06.30.
Sokolove was second in both the 200 IM (2:21.99) and the 100 breast (1:13.03) while Hotchko took second in the 50 free in 26.18.
Sophomore Katelyn Grue (Ellicott City, Md./Mount de Sales) also had a second-place finish, swimming 59.52 in the 100 free, while Disque was second in the 100 back in 1:06.99.
The Seahawks will be back in the pool tomorrow when St. Mary's travels to Arlington to take on Marymount (Va.) University in its Capital Athletic Conference opener at 2:00 pm.
