Complete Results

KINGSTON, R.I. - The Fairfield University men's and women's swimming and diving teams placed third at the Harold Anderson Invitational after numerous first place finishes and records set at the two-day event.

Junior Taylor Stecko (South Windsor, Conn.) captured both men's diving events. Stecko posted a score of 261.35 on the 3-meter to win the event for the third consecutive year. He also posted a score of 243.70 on the 1-meter for the win.

Freshman Kekoa Taparra (Mililani, Hawaii) won three individual men's events which included a school record. In the 100y breaststroke, Taparra posted a winning time of 58.70 seconds which bested the program record of 59.23 seconds set by Dave McGovern in 2000. Taparra also won the 200y IM in a time of 1:58.43 and the 400y IM with a time of 4:15.04.  

Freshman Michelle Yoshida (Kaneohe, Hawaii) won three individual women's events and set a program record in the process. Yoshida set the program record in the 100y back with a winning time of 1:00.15. The previous record of 1:00.68 was set by Julie Thorson in February 1999. Yoshida was less than two-tenths of a second of school records in her other two victories, as she won the 50y free in 24.36 seconds and the 100y free in 53.36 seconds.

Also setting a record was freshman Greg Bellizzi (Edison, N.J.) Bellizzi, who finished third in the men's 50y free, set the school record with a time of 22.14 seconds, besting the mark of 22.19 seconds set by Mike Cippollino in 2004.

Freshman Lauren Kennedy (Belmont, Mass.) captured the 200y breaststroke in a time of 2:29.95, which is a second off the program record, and was the runner-up in the 100y breaststroke with a time of 1:10.02.

Freshman Brian Friedlander (River Edge, N.J.) captured the 200y breaststroke in a time of 2:11.50. He was the runner-up in the 100y breaststroke with a personal best of 1:02.11.

In the women's relays Fairfield recorded a trio of third-place finishes. The 400y medley relay of Meghan Carlson (Worcester, Mass.), Kennedy, Aly Criscuolo (Pittsford, N.Y.), and Yoshida posted a time of 4:07.06. The quartet also got together for the 200y medley relay and posted a time of 1:54.92. The 200y freestyle relay of Megan Reilly (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.), Kaitlyn Buckheit (Exton, Pa.), Brenna Dean (Edison, N.J.), and Yoshida had a time of 1:42.09.

Fairfield also turned in strong performances in the men's relays events. The 400y medley relay of Taparra, Friedlander, Andrew Robinson (Manalapan, N.J.), and Bellizzi finished in second place with a time of 3:40.07 less than a second of the school record. The foursome finished third in the 200y medley relay with a time of 1:41.31. The 200y freestyle relay of Bellizzi, Robinson, Taparra, and Stefan Toi (Newton, Conn.) finished in fourth place with a time of 1:30.11.

On the boards, junior Hillary Urbancic (Concord, Mass.) finished sixth on the women's 3-meter with a score of 146.05 and seventh on the 1-meter with a score of 130.90. Sophomore Brett Carisio (Cheshire, Conn.) finished fourth on the men's 1-meter with a score of 187.65 and was sixth on the 3-meter with a score of 165.90.

The University of Rhode Island captured both the men's and women's team titles. The University of Maine was the runner-up on the women's side. Fairfield, in third, finished ahead of Providence College, Holy Cross, and Bryant University. On the men's side, Providence was the runner-up while Fairfield was third. The Stags finished ahead of Maine, Bryant, Holy Cross, and Cincinatti.

The Fairfield women The Stags have concluded competition for the first half of the season. They head to Puerto Rico for their Winter Training Trip in January.