The University of Rhode Island’s swim and dive team traveled to Philadelphia this weekend for a tri-meet against La Salle University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, facing its first conference opponent of the season.
The Rams entered the meet after wrapping up the Harold Anderson Invitational from Nov. 20-23, where they finished third out of nine teams.
The Rams came up short in both of their matchups on Saturday, as URI fell to UMass 183-114 and dropped a 183-115 decision to La Salle.
“All things considered, we gave it our best,” Rhode Island Head Coach Lilli Falconer Deering said. “We had a long travel day on Friday, and I think that this gives us some more things to focus on during the next phase of our season and getting ready for the last few dual meets we have.”
Despite the long trip and having recently come back from Thanksgiving break, fourth-year diver Olivia Winslow had an impressive performance. Winslow swept both the one-meter and three-meter dives and broke the program’s one-meter record with a score of 304.40.
“My mindset was to have one last good meet for the semester,” Winslow said. “We traveled so far, so I really made it worth the time.”
In the one-meter event, Winslow is undefeated this season and won the Harold Anderson Invitational with a score of 289.55, as well as set the facility record for the three-meter event with a score of 326.60.
Along with Winslow’s continued success on the boards, the Rams will also look for contributions from their other upperclassmen, who have delivered crucial points throughout the fall schedule, according to Deering.
Third-year Avery Potyrala also had a strong performance in her skins race, according to Deering.
“She had a really great performance,” Deering said. “Her first 50 in that race was an in-season best time unsuited, so she had a great first race. She’s been our go-to sprinter for us this season, so I was really proud of her for that.”
Looking ahead, Winslow and Potyrala will hope to carry their momentum into the new year, but they’ll have to wait a while to get back into competition. Rhode Island won’t return to action until Jan. 12, 2026, marking its longest stretch without a meet or invitational this season.
“One of the things we always tell the girls is that this is a really good opportunity to just maintain,” Deering said. “They need to stay in shape, and swimming at least an hour or an hour and a half a day is important to their success at the end of the season. It’s more of a mental break for them than physical.”
When the Rams return to the pool, they’ll travel to face the University of New Hampshire on the road. Last season, URI took a 186-114 loss against the Wildcats; the Rams will look to have a stronger performance this year as they begin their final stretch of dual meets before the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in February.
