The Rhode Island College swim team saw their season come to an end on a high note as they posted their highest team score of program history at a meet against Eastern Connecticut State University. The Anchorwomen saw wins in several events including two from sophomore stand out Sophie Kanno as they scored a 92 team total.
“We had to overcome so many obstacles this season from the construction in the rec center to girls getting sick or badly injured and not being able to compete, but it made us really strong and resilient,” said Kanno. “It made us want to work really hard ourselves, for Ron (Sutherland) and just for the program as a whole.”
Kanno, a sophomore captain on the team, came into the meet with no collegiate finishes higher then third. Kanno posted up wins in the 100 yard breaststroke with an impressive time of1:15.88 and the 100 yard intermediate with an official time of 1:09. 35. Kanno finished up her day by also taking second in the 100 yard butterfly.
Senior Hillary Switzer also had one of her best days on the season. The lone upper classman posted a win in the 100 yard backstroke with a personal best time of 1:16.32. She also earned a pair of fourth place finishes in the 50 yard backstroke and the 50 yard freestyle.
Switzer and Kanno both see their season come to an end just in time to join another set of teammates in the rec center for spring practice. Both are highly relied upon members of the Anchorwomen’s lacrosse team that began practice over the weekend.
The two Rhode Island College student athletes are part of an elite crew that competes in more than one sport at a collegiate level. There are just over 136,000 NCAA D-III athletes in the nation, and only an estimated one percent compete in multiple sports.
Also adding points to the win were sophomores Sierra Sant’Anna, Charity Williams and freshman Leah Oppito. Williams, Oppito, junior Jessica Bibeault, freshman Ramie Cormay won the 4×200 yard freestyle with a group time of 2:07.20.
“Regardless of all the adversities of this first year, we had an extremely successful season and it is only going to get better from here on out,” said Kanno. “Almost everybody on the team got their personal best times today. It was a wonderful way to end the season.”
The program ends their inaugural season win-less, but certainly had plenty of growth over the year to make them look promising for next year.
