The Red Storm is almost half way through the season as it posts a 2-4 record, still hoping to make it to the Big East Tournament and hopefully the NCAA Tournament.
Its season began on a high note with a win over Wagner by the score of 107-79.
Senior Jennifer Alger came up with two first place finishes in the 1000-meter free and the 500-meter free. Freshman Laura Nuudi brought a first place finish in the 200-meter backstroke while leading the 400-meter medley relay team to first place as well. Sophomore Melissa Kolackovsky also brought home two first place finishes in the 50-meter free and the 100-meter free.
The Red Storm then fell to two fierce opponents, Fordham by a score of 92-134 and UConn by a score of 44-184. Beth Malinowsky and Nuudi each won two events as Alger and Carly Goepal two one first place finish each.
Despite the hard loss to UConn, the Red Storm posted some of its better times, with Alger taking a first place finish in the 100-meter free.
The Army Invitational pitted the Red Storm against tough opposition. The meet included the U.S. Military Academy, Seton Hall University and Fordham.
The Red Storm put up a fight in this meet as its relay team, led by Kolackovsky, took first place in the 400-yard free.
Individual honors came to Nuudi, who took first place in the 100-yard butterfly and second places in the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard backstroke. Malinowsky took second place in the 1650-yard free and the 500-yard free, while Goepal placed second in the 200-yard butterfly.
Even though the Red Storm jockeyed for the third place spot with Fordham throughout the tournament, it fell to fourth place trailing Fordham by just 12 points. Individual rankings for the USMA Invitational Tournament placed Nuudi in 4th, Malinowski in 7th, Alger in 8th and Kolackovski in 13th.
The Red Storm faced UMass at home in its next grueling meet. In the 14 events, the Red Storm placed second or higher in 11 of them. Alger took first place in the 200-meter free and the 200-meter individual medley, while taking second in the 100-meter free.
Both of the Red Storm’s 200-meter free relay teams finished first and second to sweep that event. However, it was not enough to take the meet title. The Red Storm fell to UMass, 107-144.
The Red Storm went away to meet with Iona, where it took the meet, 114-87. Lisa Zuffante took first place in the 50-yard free, the 500-yard free and led one of SJU’s relay teams to second place in the 200-yard medley.
Nuudi placed first in the 200-yard backstroke, the 200-yard free and led the relay team in the 200-yard medley to first place as well.
The Red Storm will meet with St. Francis before it leaves for Barbados for some extra training. Upon its return, it will face Fairfield, Rutgers and Seton Hall, Stony Brook, Boston College and then the Big East Championships.
The team hopes to send some of its individual standouts like Nuudi, Malinowsky, Alger and Kolackovski to the Big East Championships as well as some of their relay teams.
