FIU Sprint Invite Highlights Jaspers’ Training Trip

North Miami, FL – As part of its annual training trip, Manhattan Swimming and Diving traveled to the Sunshine State and competed in the 2019 FIU Sprint Invite on Saturday, January 5, hosted by Florida International University. The Jaspers were one of 13 teams to descend onto the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Center, competing against the Panthers as well as Carnegie Mellon, Binghamton, Widener, Merrimack, Duquesne, Illinois Tech, Regis, Staten Island, Waterloo, Keene State and the Colorado club team. The 50 Fly, 50 Back, 50 Breast and 50 Free competed in a four-round, tournament-style elimination tournament. The heats consisted of all participants, and the top eight times reached the second. The top-half of the best times in the ensuing rounds advanced until there was one winner. Training trips are team-bonding outings dedicated to preparing student-athletes for the stretch run of the season and feature numerous activities that develop chemistry in the team. Manhattan's next meet takes place on Sunday, January 20 as both squads battle Colgate in Hamilton, NY at 3:00 pm. The meet serves as the Jaspers' final non-conference tilt and the penultimate bout of the regular season. MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Artur Polyak (Haifa, Israel / Pittsburgh) was the runner-up in the 50 Back heats and eighth in the tournament, while freshman Matthew Shen (Waxhaw, NC / Marvin Ridge) placed ninth in the heats in 26.67 seconds. Polyak also took the silver in the 100 Back in 55.03 seconds.

• Junior captain Timothy Valentine (Massapequa, NY / Chaminade) reached the second round in the 50 Breast and took sixth with a time of 27.92 seconds. Junior Tyler Dalton (East Stroudsburg, PA / Pocono Mountain East) and freshman Matthew Shen (Suffern, NY / Suffern Senior) went inside the top 25 in the heats.

• In the 50 Free, Polyak [seventh – 22.53 seconds], sophomore Charles Ledda (New Fairfield, CT / New Fairfield) [12th – 22.83 seconds] and freshman Kyle Bergin (Lynbrook, NY / Lynbrook Senior) [22.97 seconds] earned points. Polyak placed fifth in the second round in 22.39 seconds.

• Freshman Branden Deiss (Benoni, South Africa / Crawford College Lonehill) won ninth in the 200 Free in 1:49.68, with senior captain Evan Battisti (East Meadow, NY / East Meadow) swimming in 1:55.55 for a top-20 mark on his birthday. The pair were sixth and 14th, respectively, in the 400 Free.

• Bergin, Ledda and Shen sneaked in the top 15 in the 100 Free, with Bergin's 50.04-second swim leading the way in sixth place.

• Freshman Connor Marshall (West Hartford, CT / Avon Old Farms) won silver in the one-meter dive, scoring 183.90.

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior Kathryn Voitik (Moscow, PA / Scranton Prep) slid into 12th place in the 400 Free, clocking in at 4:20.50.

• In the 100 Back, senior Megan Pagano (Lagrangeville, NY / Arlington) had Manhattan's best time at 1:07.75.

• Freshman Jamie Quinn (Fairfax, VA / WT Woodson) tied for 18th in the 100 Free at 57.71 seconds.

• Quinn and junior captain Kali Nembach (Lynbrook, NY / Lynbrook Senior) finished inside the top 30 among 139 competitors in the 50 Free heats.

• Senior Klaudia Nagrabska (Belmont, MA / Belmont) finished in the top 25 in the 50 and 100 Breast.