The Massachusetts swim and dive teams competed at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center in The Bronx, N.Y. in a dual meet against Fordham. The Minutemen (4-3) improved to an above .500 record on the season with a 163–147 victory, while the Minutewomen (5-5) dropped to an even record after a 184.5–113.5 loss to the Rams women’s team (7-3).
UMass’ men’s team had a strong start to the meet in the 1,000-yard freestyle where junior Jude Boukarroum established control early and surged to a first-place finish with a time of 9:50.27. Freshman Miles Smyczek provided additional support for the Minutemen, touching the wall just 0.27 seconds behind Boukarroum to secure second place and narrow the gap on the Fordham men (3-7).
The UMass women’s team struggled out of the gate, falling behind Fordham in the opening events of the meet. The Minutewomen found their footing in event nine, the 100-yard breaststroke, where freshman Kate Baranova and junior Lindsay Burbage delivered a crucial one-two finish. Baranova touched first with a time of 1:05.23, while Burbage followed closely in 1:05.86, edging the Rams’ Lexi Lundell by just 0.05 seconds to secure second place and help swing momentum back in UMass’s favor.
The UMass men continued to assert dominance during the diving event, led by a standout performance from sophomore Alex Kreidler in the 1-meter dive. The Arvada, Colo. native posted a score of 335.33 points, separating himself from the field and securing first place for the Minutemen. Freshman Carson Harrington added to the success with a strong showing of his own, finishing in second place with 317.78 points. Harrington and Kreidler maintained their strong performances in the 3-meter dive, finishing second and third, respectively, to keep UMass competitive in the event.
Junior Diya Ackerman-Vallala delivered a standout performance throughout the meet, giving maximum effort in every race. She claimed first place in the 200-yard freestyle, touching the wall just 0.3 seconds ahead of Fordham’s Campbell Stever in a tight finish. Ackerman-Vallala also finished third in the 100-yard freestyle behind her teammate, sophomore Courtney Tedesco, helping the Minutewomen maintain a strong presence in the pool.
Tedesco put in a strong, consistent performance throughout the meet, regularly finishing near the top in her events. She claimed first place in the 50-yard freestyle, narrowly out-touching the runner-up by 0.14 seconds. Tedesco also played a key role in UMass’ relay efforts, helping the Minutewomen secure second-place finishes in both the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay. Her speed and consistency made her a crucial contributor to the team’s overall performance.
The Minutemen put on a commanding performance in the 500-yard freestyle, dominating across the podium with finishes in first, second, fourth and fifth, firmly outpacing the Rams in the event. Freshman Sota Kawahata led the way, setting the pace from the start and steadily increasing his speed with each lap to touch first at 4:42.63. Senior Sammy Quigg followed closely behind, finishing second with a time of 4:44.32. With such depth and consistency in the middle-distance freestyle, UMass showcased both momentum and perseverance, bolstering the team’s strong position heading into the final stages of the meet.
Looking ahead to close out the season, the Minutemen and Minutewomen will compete in the Rutgers Platform Invitational on Feb. 7 in Piscataway, New Jersey. After, both teams will be preparing to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
Ashley Son can be reached at [email protected].
