Seton Hall University
Marist (Senior Day)
Seniors, Freshmen Combine to Overpower Marist
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - In what was their final home appearance of 2014-15, the Seton Hall men's swimming & diving team continued its commanding charge through the regular season slate; earning a 158.5-141.5 victory over visiting Marist at the Arthur E. Imperatore Natatorium.
On a day in which seniors Zach DeLillo (Sinking Spring, Pa.), Richard Lessard (Wethersfield, Conn.), James Logan (Wallingford, Pa.) and Ben Mitchell (Milford, Pa.) were recognized for their contributions throughout their respective careers; The Hall sent them out on a winning note while improving to 9-1 overall and 5-0 in a dual meet setting this season.
Together, DeLillo, Logan and Mitchell were a part of three of the Pirates' eight event victories on the afternoon while the other five were recorded by freshmen - helping to hold off a challenge from the Red Foxes.
One of SHU's premier performers throughout his decorated time in South Orange, Mitchell delivered one of the more memorable moments of the afternoon. The two-time BIG EAST champion urged on an appreciative crowd from atop his perch on the three-meter board just moments before sticking his final competitive dive at The Hall's home venue; sealing yet another first-place finish with a score of 308.03.
DeLillo and Logan were not to be out-done as the two teamed to help The Hall open the meet with a win in the 200-medley relay (1:34.47) as part of a squad that also included Keith Carlino (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and Tim Bosse (New Windsor, N.Y.).
The defending conference champion in the 200-breast, Logan went on to add a win of his own in the same event, closing with a first-place time of 2:12.36 after building a lead over the first two legs that was too much for teammate and runner-up Sean Sali (Bridgewater, N.J.) to overcome.
Sali had previously overtaken Logan on the back end of the 100-breast, clocking in just three-hundredths of a second ahead of the senior at 59.45 to post one of five victories for Seton Hall freshmen throughout the course of the meet.
Classmate Matt Zebrowski (Sayreville, N.J.) was the only men's competitor for SHU to register multiple wins on the afternoon; first eclipsing the field with a wire-to-wire performance in the 200-fly that ended with a time of 1:53.60.
Zebrowski's second first-place showing came in the butterfly as well as he recorded a 51.36 mark at 100 yards, a race in which DeLillo reached the wall third (52.58).
Fellow standout newcomers Zohar Suslovich (Holon, Israel) and Noah Yanchulis (Arnold, Md.) each contributed one victory as well in a meet where points were at a premium. Suslovich claimed the 200-back, an event in which he currently owns the top time in the BIG EAST, by posting a 1:53.51.
Carlino took third in the event (1:56.69), one spot ahead of freshman Michael Mattera (Deer Park, N.Y.) (1:59.99).
Yanchulis paced three Seton Hall scorers in the 200-free, amassing a 1:42.72 mark that was 1.95 seconds ahead of Bosse in second. Jason Tan (Bridgewater, N.J.) ranked fourth with a 1:46.60 mark.
Yanchulis (4:41.20) also narrowly missed out on a second first-place finish when he touched in .68 seconds behind winner Ryan Murphy in a 500-free duel that came down to the 10th and final leg. Sophomore Seth Underwood (Collegeville, Pa.) and freshman Cody Wimmer (Macungie, Pa.) were separated by just 1.17 seconds in third and fourth respectively.
The 200-IM saw Zebrowski (1:57.70) place second in his bid for a third win of the day; ahead of Suslovich in fourth and Yanchulis in fifth. Suslovich also placed third in the 100-back, a race in which Carlino led The Hall with a second-place time of 52.56.
DeLillo collected a fourth runner-up effort for the Pirates in the 50-free, stopping the clock at 22.32.
The Hall will look to carry their momentum into their final dual meet of the campaign tomorrow, January 25 as the Pirates will take on Connecticut in Storrs. Start-time is scheduled for Noon.
