WILKES-BARRE, Pa.  – Despite not having the women's swimming events to provide rests times in between races, senior Anthony Taboadela (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) managed to put forth a triple-winning performance as the William Paterson men's swimming and diving team (1-0) opened up its season with a 108-98 victory at Wilkes (0-1) Oct. 7. The Pioneers claimed seven of 11 events and won a the decisive-final event, the 200 free relay, to earn the victory.
 
Taboadela's triumphs came in the 200 IM (2:08.38), 100 fly (55.31) and 100 back (56.32). The senior edged the next closest swimmer by 11.21 seconds in the 200 IM, posting a 27.13 in his first length.
 
Junior Drew Macchia (Chatham, N.J./Chatham), sophomore Jimmy Sharkey (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) and senior Sammuel Melendez (West Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) were all individual-single winners for the Pioneers. Macchia prevailed in the 50 free (23.67), earning a crucial nine points. He narrowly clipped WP sophomore Eamon Logue (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Twp.), who was just .05 second slower at 23.72, and only slightly off his career-best mark (23.12).
 
Sharkey swam to the final wall first in the 1000 free, touching in 11:43.79. WP freshman Bradley Belina (Paramus, N.J. /Paramus) was not far behind, posting a second-place finish with a time of 11:50.63, combining with Sharkey for 13 points in the event. Belina also put forth an impressive comeback in the 500 free to swipe a second-place outcome in the event (5:43.74). The first-year swimmer swam a 32.90 final leg to oust Wilkes freshman Justin Burda by just .03 second
 
Melendez swam a solid pace in the 100 breast, claiming the event with a time of 1:03.22. He would also earn four points for WP with a second-place result in the 200 free (1:54.59), and was instrumental in the Pioneers victory in the 200 free relay, registering the fastest clip (23.11) of WP's four swimmers. Logue, freshman Thomas Haughey (Folsom, Pa. /Ridley) and Macchia joined Melendez in the collective win.
 
Freshmen Jonathan Vela (Prospect Park, N.J./Passaic County Tech), Joey Croce (Dumont, N.J. /Dumont), Raul Mancera (Trenton, N.J. /Nottingham), John Conlow (Mount Laurel, N.J. /Lenape), Valentine Perez (Hamilton, N.J. /Hamilton), Belina and Haughey all made their collegiate debuts for WP during the victory.
 
Men's swimming and diving opens up its home schedule in its next meet Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1:00 p.m. when it hosts FDU-Florham.
 
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