Results

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – William Paterson established a new school record in the women's 400 medley relay to highlight the Pioneer men's and women's efforts during Day One of the Metropolitan Championships Feb. 22 at Rutgers' Sonny Werblin Center. William Paterson's women stand seventh of 17 teams after the first day with 57 points, and the men were ninth of 14 teams with 53 points.

Katelyn Esposito (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Twp.), Caitlin Rotondo (Brick, N.J./Methacton), Grace McKay (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) and Cathy Hartwell (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) posted a time of 4:06.75 to finish first in the 400 medley relay preliminaries, breaking the previous WP record of 4:07.43 established by Tonya Shipp, Lisa Bedford, Connie Wasberg and Kim Stair at the 1990 NCAA Championships. In the A Final, the Pioneers finished fourth with a time of 4:07.88.

Rotondo, McKay, Donivyn Schmidt (Hackettstown, N.J./Warren Hills) and Hartwell finished seventh in the A Final of the 200 free relay with a time of 1:42.54.

Individually, Rotondo placed sixth in the 200 IM B Final (2:19.42), Esposito was eighth in the 200 IM C Final (2:25.84), and Hartwell was third in the 50 free C Final (25.77). Sophomore Giana Albruzzese (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) placed fourth in the one-meter dive preliminaries (286.90), and Christine Sullivan (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional-Old Tappan) was 11th (218.10).

On the men's side, the Pioneer 200 free relay of Vojtech Karas (Brno, Czech Republic/Ludvika Danka), Kirk Smith (West Orange, N.J./West Orange), David Caputo (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) and Evan Seftel (Montville, N.J./Montville) finished first in the B Final with a time of 1:29.37.

Karas had the best William Paterson individual effort of the first day, placing second in the A Final of the 50 free with a time of 21.28. Seftel touched sixth in the 50 free C Final (22.23), Caputo was second in the 500 free C Final (4:57.95), and Smith was third in the 200 IM C Final (2:04.84).

The Pioneers will continue competition at the Metropolitan Championships Feb. 23-24.