BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn women's swimming team was defeated by Wagner in the team's final home meet of the 2018-19 season on Saturday. The Northeast Conference rival, one of the top two teams in the league, beat the Blackbirds, 156-106, on Senior Day to hand their hosts the team's first home loss of the season (5-1 in the LIU Pool). The Blackbirds will wrap up the regular season next week, up in New Britain, Conn., when they take on CCSU.
LIU won four of the fourteen events on the slate on Saturday, led by junior Noemie Lacroix-Moreau with a pair of wins in the 100 and 200 butterfly. The co-captain went 59.12 and 2:11.77, winning the longer race by over three seconds over her nearest Seahawks competitor.
The home team received a win by sophomore Amanda Peren in the 100 backstroke (59.21) and by freshman Amanda San Juan in the 1000 freestyle (10:53.30). Peren had a second place finish in the 200 backstroke (2:11.62) and San Juan took second in the 500 freestyle (5:17.57).
LIU sophomore Jeanne Touchette-McGowan had the Blackbirds' two other second spots in the 200 freestyle (1:57.65) and the 200 individual medley (2:13.31).
Before the meet, the Blackbirds' first-ever four year swimmers: Mads Carrigan, Nathalie Meyers and Briana Vega, were honored in a special ceremony. In the meet, Carrigan had a pair of second place finishes, the 200 breaststroke (1:08.71) and in the 200 medley relay (1:48.94). Meyers was on the second place 400 freestyle relay (3:40.91) and her top individual race was a third place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:00.4) on the day. Vega did not swim due to injury, but she is expected back for the NEC Championships in three weeks.
Wagner (9-4, 4-1 NEC) was led by Makenna DePudyt with three wins in the meet, the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle races, while Ellie Eastwood (100 and 200 breaststroke) and Hande Kivanc (200 backstroke, 200 individual medley), each won two races. Besides the two relays, the Seahawks only additional win was by Andrea Gustafsson in the 50 freestyle.
The Blackbirds (10-4, 3-2 NEC) will close out the regular season next Saturday, when they face the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils at 12:00 p.m.