Swimming Teams Stay Undefeated In Dual Meets With Sweep Of Pace

Bridgeport, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport swimming teams stayed undefeated in dual meet action on Saturday afternoon, as the Purple Knights swept a home meet from Pace University.  The UB women defeated the Setters, 139-100; while the men's team posted a 132-92 victory.

On the women's side, freshman Sonia Arau (Barcelona, Spain) was a triple event winner posting UB school records in all three of her victories.  Sonia won the 400-meter Individual Medley in an NCAA "A" qualifying time (the program's first of this season) of 4:49.75.  Arau's other two first place finishes came in the 100-meter Backstroke (1:03.96) and the 400-meter Freestyle (4:27.18).  Both of those winning times are NCAA "B" qualifying marks.

Senior Roxana Purcelea (Constanta, Romania) was a double winner for the women capturing the 50-meter Freestyle (27.72) and the 100-meter Freestyle (1:00.27).

Individual winners for the UB women against Pace were junior Maris Visse (Tallinn, Estonia) in the 800-meter Freestyle (9:42.27), sophomore Anna Krasnowska (Kedzierzyn-Kozle, Poland) in the 200-meter Freestyle (2:12.96), freshman Karen Barboza (Chula Vista, Calif.) in the 200-meter Backstroke (2:32.12) and newcomer Ilka Oberle (Schwanau, Germany) in the 200-meter Breaststroke (2:48.33).

The women's 200-meter Freestyle relay team (Sandra Schmitz, Barboza, Krasnowska and Noufissa Chbihi) also took first place with a time of 1:53.20.

For the UB men, freshmen Oscar Pereiro (Arzua, Spain) and Florian Mehlan (Moers, Germany), senior Piotr Safronczyk (Bialystok, Poland) plus sophomore Julio Lopez (Monterrey, Mexico) were double event winners.

Pereiro won the 100-meter Backstroke in an NCAA "B" qualifying time and UB record mark of 55:46, and he took first place in the 200-meter Freestyle (1:57.15).  Oscar also set a UB record and turned in an NCAA "B" qualifying mark in the 50-meter Freestyle swimming the lead leg on the winning 200-meter Free Relay team in a time of 23.34.

Mehlan won the 400-meter Individual Medley in a UB record time of 4:45.95, and he also took first place in the 400-meter Freestyle (4:12.78).

2010 NCAA champion Safronczyk won the 100-meter Breaststroke in NCAA "B" qualifying mark and UB record time of 1:03.80.  Piotr's other first place came in the 50-meter Freestyle (23.89).

Lopez took first place in the 800-meter Freestyle (9:31.11) and the 200-meter Butterfly (2:14.32).

Individual winners for the UB men on Saturday were sophomore Eddie Phillips (Missouri City, Tex.) in the 100-meter Butterfly (59.08), sophomore Toni Valcic (Ribnica, Slovenia) in the 100-meter Freestyle (54.16), senior Nik Savic (Novi Sad, Serbia) in the 200-meter Backstroke (2:16.34) and freshman Alejandro Roberto (Badajoz, Spain/Canary Islands) in the 200-meter Breaststroke (2:37.68).

The men's 200-meter Free Relay team of Pereiro, Savic, Valcic and Safronczyk won their event in a UB record time of 1:33.33.

The Bridgeport women will next be in action at home on Saturday, January 29th against C.W. Post.  The UB men return to the pool on February 5^th at St. Peter's College.