Coast Guard Academy Sports Roundup

The Coast Guard Academy swimming and diving teams picked up a win over Clark University on Saturday, while the indoor track teams placed second in their own invitational. Both basketball teams lost to their opponents. The following information was provided by Jason Southard, sports information director at the Coast Guard Academy:

Men's Basketball: MIT 80, Coast Guard 55

Sixth-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology scored the game’s first 10 points and cruised to an 80-55 win over visiting Coast Guard in New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

With the win, the Engineers improve to 18-1 and 6-1 in league play. The Bears fall to 7-10 and are 1-6 in the NEWMAC.

Junior Mitchell Kates and senior Noel Hollingsworth led the way for Tech, with Kates scoring 21 points to go along with four assists. Hollingsworth picked up a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Jamie Karraker connected on five shots from three-point range for 15 points.

David Anderson was Coast Guard’s leading scorer with 12 points while junior captain Greg Marshall was also in double-figures with 10.

The Cardinal and Gray limited the Bears to just 30.5% shooting from the field while forcing 15 turnovers. MIT also had a 47-29 advantage on the glass.

Kates found Karraker on the wing for a three-ball right off the opening tip, giving the Engineers a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the afternoon. Kates knocked down one of his five trifectas and Hollingsworth and junior Will Tashman added buckets during the opening 10-0 spurt.

Coast Guard would cut into the deficit over the next two and a half minutes, getting as close as three points, 14-11, following a Trip Fernandes' three-pointer at the 14:31 mark. The hosts would respond, however, with a 12-3 run to stretch the lead back into double-digits. Coast Guard would get no closer than seven the rest of the way, as MIT swept the season series with the Bears for second time in three seasons.

Women's Basketball: Clark 84, Coast Guard 59

Sophomore Megan Grondin led all scorers with 20 points while classmate Emily Reilly added 16 and senior Kate Minster 14 points leading Clark to a 84-59 win over Coast Guard in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

Grondin, Reilly and Minster combined for 50 points shooting a sizzling 83 percent from the floor (19 of 23), including five for five from three-point range. Grondin was nine of 12, Reilly was five of six and made her only trey while Minister was a perfect five for five from the floor and four of four from three-point range as Clark shot 61.5 percent in the game (35-52), including 68 percent in the second half (17-25). The Cougars also made seven of 10 from three-point range in the game.

The game was tied 21-21 with 8:26 left in the first half before the Cougars used a 20-4 spurt to end the half taking a 41-25 lead at halftime. Minister had a pair of three-pointers in the run while Grondin had three buckets.

Clark, which won its third straight to improve to 13-6 overall and 9-3 in the NEWMAC, controlled play in the second half and led by as many as 38 at 79-41 with 5:10 left before the Bears outscored the Cougars 18-5 the rest of the way.

Junior Kelsey Geidyman was also in double figure for Clark with 12 points and a game-high five assists while Reilly added four assists. Freshman Victoria Russo led the way with seven rebounds to go with her six points.

Sophomore Kaitlin Ward led the Bears with 14 points while freshman Brittney Zimmerman added 13 points in the loss. Freshman Jamie Waterman led the way with nine rebounds to go with her six points. Freshman Dani Knox added eight points and a game-high four steals for the Bears.

Coast Guard shot 38.2 percent from the floor (26-28) while making three of 10 from behind the arc.

Clark outrebounded Coast Guard 39-29.

The Bears drop to 5-11 overall and 1-11 in conference play.

Swimming and Diving

Head coach John Westkott picked up his 150th career win as both the men’s and women’s team beat Clark to celebrate Senior Day.

The men’s team beat Clark 133-92 to improve to 9-2 on the season. Westkott has 102 wins with the men’s program and 48 as head coach of the women’s team.

The 400 freestyle relay team of freshman Christian Brindamour, senior Johnson Knox, senior Brian McGuiness and senior Dan Beshoar broke the pool record with a time of 3:08.92.

Senior Orlando Morel won both the one-meter board (241.10) and the three-meter board (218.10) to lead the Bears while junior Nick Poehler won the 1,000 freestyle (10:06.29), junior Kevin Smit won the 200 freestyle (1:46.97), senior Johnson Knox won the 50 freestyle (21.51), junior Tanner Armstrong won the 200 IM (2:01.33), senior Evin Moses won the 200 butterfly (2:04.66) while senior Dan Beshoar won the 100 freestyle (48.53).

The 200 medley relay team of Beshoar, Knox, senior Preston Stroebel and senior Brian McGuiness won with a time of 1:37.53.

The women’s team beat Clark 134-108 to improve to 5-7 on the season. Westkott has 102 wins with the men’s program and 48 as head coach of the women’s team.

Freshman Sara Cantrell broke the school-record on the three-meter board with a score of 247.5 breaking the record of 228 set by Melissa Smith in 2003.

Clark senior All-American Eileen Garcia broke the pool records on both the one-meter (288.65) and the three-meter boards (318.10) for the Cougars.

Senior Heidi Gayman won both the 100 freestyle (55.65) and the 200 freestyle (1:59.15) while classmate Sarah Jane Otey won the 500 freestyle (5:34.13) and the 1,000 freestyle (11:12.96) to lead the Bears past Clark.

Also for the Bears, freshman Caitlyn Gever won the 50 freestyle (25.54), sophomore Chantel Ferguson won the 200 IM (2:18.42), junior Terri Jozsa won the 200 breaststroke (2:34.37) and the Bears 200 medley relay team of Gever, Jozsa, senior Jordan Mestemaker and freshman Darlene Sao won with a time of 1:57.02.

Indoor Track

Kevin O’Brien and Trevor Siperek each won events as Coast Guard placed second of four teams at the Coast Guard Winter Invitational.

Westfield State won with 109 points, Coast Guard finished with 80 points followed by Eastern Connecticut (37) and Trinity (20).

O’Brien (9:26.11) and Joey O’Connell (9:28.09) took first and second in the 3,000 meters while Siperek won the mile with a time of 4:30.37.

The Bears 4x400 relay team of Joe Kelly, Ryan Hub, Rian Bareuther and Ben Hannon won with a time of 3:39.59 and the 4x800 relay team of Jordan Lee, Myles McCarthy, Siperek and Brad Pienta won in 8:34.98.

Hannon placed second in the 400 meters (52.60), Lee was second in the 600 meters (1:23.73), Pienta was second in the 1,000 meters (2:46.13), Ian Ashner was second in the weight throw (43 feet, 9 inches) and Kemron Beache took second in the shot put with a throw of 45 feet, 5.75 inches for the Bears.

In the women's competition, the Coast Guard also took second out of four teams. Freshman Beth Gollin won both the 800 meters (2:26.49) and the mile (5:20.32) qualifying for the Division III New England Championships in both events.

Westfield State won with 93.5 points, Coast Guard finished with 77.5 points followed by Trinity (37) and Eastern Connecticut (37) which tied for third.

Emily Trudeau set a school-record in the shot put with a throw of 39 feet, 1.25 inches while also placing second in the weight throw (43 feet, 10.75 inches).

Sophomore Abby Bishop won the 55 meter hurdles (9.32) and the long jump (15 feet, 4.75 inches) and classmate Kristen Euchler won the 600 meters (1:45.94),

Sophomore Megan Kalinowski placed second in the 1,000 meters (3:24.56) while sophomore Hannah Seeland was second in the shot put (34 feet, 10.25 inches) for the Bears.