Women’s Swimming Sweeps Gordon, Norwich

WENHAM, Mass. – Elms College sophomore Ashley Arbo (Kensington, Conn.) won three individual events, while freshmen Tessa Dudunake (Northampton, Mass.) and Chalis Bird (Windsor, Mass.) each won a pair of individual events to help lift the Blazers to a sweep of Gordon College and Norwich University in Saturday afternoon’s women’s swimming tri-meet in Wenham, Mass.

Elms has now won three straight competitions to improve to 6-5 on the season. The Blazers claimed a 102-17 victory over Gordon, and a 92-24 win against Norwich.

Arbo and Bird claimed first and second place respectively in the 50-yard backstroke with times of 30.67 and 32.21, while Arbo and freshman Tricia Ruell (Chicopee, Mass.) earned first and second place in the 100-yard backstroke. Arbo clocked a 1:05.10 and Ruell finished in 1:13.80.

Arbo also tied with freshman Emalee Furtek (Ludlow, Mass.) for top honors in the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 30.35.

Dudunake and sophomore Katie Roberts (Torrington, Conn.) delivered a one-two punch in the 50-yard breaststroke with respective times of 33.85 and 35.79, while Dudunake claimed a victory in the 100-yard individual medley (1:07.63).

Bird raced to a win in the 50-yard freestyle (27.51) and a second place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (6:03.48), while junior Theresa Pitassi (Naugatuck, Conn.) claimed top honors in the 500-yard freestyle with a winning time of 6:03.29.

Pitassi and Ruell glided to a first and second place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with times of 2:15.49 and 2:26.40 respectively. 

Furtek secured a time of 1:01.37 to win the 100-yard freestyle, and Roberts added a win in the 1,000-yard freestyle (13:43.43).

The 200-yard medley relay team of Arbo, Dudunake, Bird and Pitassi earned top honors with a time of 2:03.91, while Furtek, junior Alison McBride (East Providence, R.I.), Roberts and Ruell teamed together and placed first in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:58.12).

The women’s swim team returns to Partyka Natatorium on Saturday, Jan. 30 when it hosts Regis College in dual meet action. First race is set for 11:00 a.m.