One of Division III’s biggest rivalry dual meets will kick off the first weekend of action in 2019. On Saturday, Amherst College will travel to NESCAC rival Williams College. As of the latest CSCAA poll the Williams women sit at number six while the Amherst women are ranked 17th. The Amherst men are 14th, above the 17th ranked Williams team.
In 2018 the Eph women won by a score of 181 to 117. Amherst’s lone wins came from diver Lindsay Ruderman in one meter diving and Bridgitte Kwong in the 100 backstroke. Kwong has gotten her senior season off to a nice start. She opened December as the NESCAC Performer of the Week after posting a 200 IM already faster than she went at the Williams dual last year.
Last year Williams relied on senior Emma Waddell to win two individual events and play a role in both relays. While the team may be weaker in the sprints and 100 fly this year, range-y freestyler and All-American Laura Westphal is now a sophomore who could develop into Waddell’s role. Her classmate Molly Craig was also a double-event winner at this dual meet last year, and fellow then-freshman Gwyneth Malloy added a win of her own.
Kwong should go head to head with Williams junior Caroline Conforti in the backstrokes, and could give Craig a race in the 200 IM. While not quite on the level of Williams junior Caroline White, Nina Fitzgerald developed nicely for the Mammoths in her freshman year and should score some helpful breaststroke points this weekend.
The men’s meet went the opposite way in 2018, with the Amherst men setting three home pool records en route to a 136-101 victory over the Williams Ephs.
Williams returns distance talent Andrew Trunsky who won both the 500 and 1000 at this meet last year. His teammate Jamie Lovette can also stretch across freestyle distances.
Amherst has a deep breaststroke crew, led by junior Sean Mebust and first year Gary Sun. Craig Smith is the Mammoth’s leading backstroker, among the conference’s fastest so far this year.
Through the fall semester, the teams appear most evenly matched in the butterfly events, with Jack Koravos, Austin Lee, and Tristan So leading the way for Amherst and David Pearcy, Zeb Hart, and Lucca Delcompare posting Williams’ top times.
Go Ephs
Go Mammoths