For the first time ever CSI Swim and Dive competed within their own conference, the Northeast 10, which had allowed for the dolphins to compete with other Division II teams in that conference.
By Jess M. Johnson
The Dolphins made their mark in the NE10s, the women got second place while the men came in first, both against the two other teams present.
To become a member of the NE10s conference had been a goal for head coach Michael Ackalitis since the Swim and Dive team was the only team not in a Conference. The NE10s includes eight teams who compete against each other throughout the season and meet again at the Championships in February. The Championship takes place in Worcester, Massachusetts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute Sports, and Recreation Center.
“The meet went well, the men won against the two other teams and women split one and one,” said Ackalitis. “Being the first meet for us in the NE10s it was a good way to see where we are and what we need to work on.”
At the meet, the men’s, and women’s teams both expected a tough challenge. The team, Fairleigh Dickinson, wearing technical suits instead of regular swimsuits put up an extra challenge. This was only a motivator for The Dolphins to work that much harder in their races to make sure they were noticed within the NE10s.
Throughout this meet there were multiple close races such as the Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly, FDU finished in first place with a time of 1:04:01 and CSI’s Aurelia Barbagallo in second place with a 1:04:34. The men experienced a close race in the 200 yard freestyle with CSI’s David Poggioli in first place with a time of 1:50:82 and FDU in second place with a 1:51:72. The pool deck was filled with loud screams and cheers as each event passed.
“The atmosphere of swim meets are my favorite part,” Fayngersh said. “When my teammates are having fun and cheering it helps motivate me throughout the meet.”
The women’s team only had one first place finish throughout the whole meet, which was by Edna Meléndez, a freshman on the women’s swim team. The men had eight first place finishes completed by Anthony Attenborough, Charles Cusumano, David
Fayngersh, David Poggioli, Maxim Kleyer, and William Kwan. The Swimmers who gained the most points throughout the swim meet for CSI were Jessica Johnson and Anthony Attenborough.
The diving team gained needed points for the dolphins and was the only team with any divers present at the meet. Jordan Swanson, a Junior on the women’s diving team, took first place in both one meter and three-meter diving. Men’s diver, Michael Graham, sophomore, took first place as well in one meter and three-meter diving.
“I am always nervous for any dive meet, I want to break my old diving records,” said Swanson. “To calm my nerves, I try to meditate and listen to music.”
The Dolphins wanted to perform their best, especially entering a new and more challenging conference. Each member of The Dolphins had their own expectations and personal goals for the meet, and with that comes excitement and nerves. The Dolphins met in “The Turf Room” outside the pool deck to stretch, talk with teammates, and listen to music before they jumped in the pool for warmup.
With a loud roar of applause, the women on both teams walked to the blocks to begin the very first race of the 2023-2024 season. History was made for the CSI Swimming and Diving team in their new home conference.
“An important goal would be to show that we are a Division 2 program and can compete in the NE10s,” said Ackalitis. “The concrete goals will speak for themselves breaking records and to get new personal best times.”
