The University of Rhode Island swim and dive team fell on Saturday to the University of Connecticut before bouncing back against Providence College on Wednesday.
UConn came out of the gate strong, securing 1-2-3 sweeps in the 400-yard medley relay and 1,000-yard freestyle. The Huskies took 11 of the 16 events, taking down URI 188-112.
“That’s always a tough way to start any meet for sure,” Rhode Island Head Coach Lilli Falconer Deering said. “We’ll work on [those events] for next time. But our 200 freestyle was a great event for us, and that helped us bounce back a little bit.”
In the third event, first-year Molly Beckwith took the 200-yard freestyle by nearly a full second. It was her best time yet in the event, which she has won in each meet this season. Beckwith added on later in the meet with a win in the 100-yard butterfly.
“It’s always exciting when you have a freshman come in and do a standout job of competing in meets,” Deering said. “She’s a great addition, and she’s a great kid, so [I’m] looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish this year and in the next three years.”
After dropping the next two events, third-year Julianna Tyler brought Rhode Island its second win with the 200-yard butterfly.
Finishing off the wins in the swimming events was fourth-year Rylee Kelly in the 500-yard freestyle. The Rams’ final victory came from the diving board.
Fourth-year Olivia Winslow and first-year Emily Whiteneck took the top two spots in the one-meter dive before Winslow placed second in the three-meter dive.
“Our divers have always been a really consistent part of our program,” Deering said. “They’ve got two events, and they show up and compete really well in both of those events.”
Connecticut finished the final three events in first place, completing its best performance against Rhode Island since 2022.
“It was a tough day against a tough opponent,” Deering said. “We had a handful of really great swims, and we never really gave up. I think we gave it our best for every event that we could.”
Rhode Island turned the page quickly with its first midweek meet against Providence. Against the in-state rival, the Rams took a 150-131 win.
Providence’s pool hosted the swimming events, but with the lack of a three-meter board at the Taylor Natatorium, diving events were held at the Tootell Aquatic Center.
“Their divers come for our midseason meet and appreciate any opportunity they get to compete on three-meter,” Deering said. “It’s just a good opportunity for all of them to get experience on both three-meter and one-meter [boards].”
Winning seven of the 15 events, the Rams relied on the rest of the podium to put themselves past Providence.
After losing the first four events to the Friars, Beckwith and Tyler got Rhode Island going in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing in first and second place.
A strong finish propelled URI to the win, winning the last four events, including two 1-2-3 sweeps in the 50-meter butterfly and three-meter dive.
The Rams will take some time off before returning to action on Nov. 20 to host their four-day Harold Anderson Invitational. Rhody has finished in second place for the past three years, tying for first place with the University of Vermont in 2021. The Catamounts have won each invitational since and will look to retain their title as part of this year’s field.
