Griffs fall to Geneseo, but not without a fight

By: Hannah Wiley, Features Editor

Canisius men and women’s swimming and diving competed against SUNY Geneseo this past weekend at home, with both teams falling to the Knights. The women sit at eighth and the men sit in fifth in the MAAC standings. 

On the women’s side, sophomore Daphne Mead was the top scorer of the meet with 27 points and placed first in every event she swam. Mead’s 100-yard backstroke was the third overall swim of the meet with a season-best time of 58:15. Her 200-yard individual medley wasn’t far behind as the fourth overall swim of the meet with a time of 2:09.55. She also swam a season-best split of 27:11 in the 200-yard medley relay. Mead is currently the highest-ranking Griff on both the men’s and women’s sides in the MAAC sitting at 23rd. 

Junior Evie Leighton placed third overall for points with 17, three first place finishes and a second place finish. Leighton’s 200-yard freestyle was the top swim of the meet with a season-best time of 1:55.37 and placing first. Her 100-yard freestyle was the fifth overall swim with a first place finish and another season best time of 53:38.

Overall the women swam one personal best time and 25 season-best times. They had six first place finishes, five second place finishes and nine third place finishes. 

On the men’s side, senior Toby Mayfield was the third overall point scorer with 20 points, two first place finishes and a second place finish. Mayfield placed first in the 100-yard butterfly with a season-best time of 50:74, he also swam a personal best split during the race with a time of 23:48. He also placed first in the 200-yard butterfly and fourth in the 200-yard individual medley with a season-best time of 1:58.75. 

Junior Elliot Somers placed fourth overall in points with 18, tied with freshman Gavin Ray who also scored 17 points. Somers swam a season-best time of 1:54.17 in the 200-yard backstroke and placed first. He also swam a season-best time in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51:47 and placed first again. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Somers swam two season-best splits with a time of 22:49 after 50-yards and 46:99 after 100-yards. 

Gavin Ray placed first in both of his individual events and swam personal best times in both. Ray swam the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:52.56 and the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:03.29. Junior Tom McCabe had the third overall swim in the 200-yard freestyle with a season-best time of 1:44.47, placing first. Senior Sam Vidal had the fifth overall swim of the meet in the 200-yard freestyle with a season-best time of 1:44.78 and placing second. 

Overall, the men swam six personal best times and 33 season-best times. They had seven first place finishes, nine second place finishes and nine third place finishes.

The Griffs’ next meet is Saturday, Nov. 1 away against Binghamton University at 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Havana Austin