18 Pirates Named All-BIG EAST Performers
2/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
NEW YORK, N.Y. - After capturing seven individual titles for a second consecutive trip to the conference championships last week Seton Hall swimming and diving program saw a program record 18 Pirates recognized as All-BIG EAST performers in an announcement by the league office on Thursday.
The All-BIG EAST squad is comprised of swimmers and divers who finished in the top-three in any individual or relay event at the championships. A total of 15 team members were honored last year following a meet in which The Hall took home seven individual gold medals as well.
Seniors Ben Mitchell (Milford, Pa.) and junior Gabby Signorelli (Massapequa, N.Y.) each repeated as Most Outstanding Diver in men's and women's competition respectively; claiming all four available gold medals from the one and three meter boards.
Mitchell and Signorelli have combined for eight titles over the last two years and are the only divers in school history to win a conference championship.
Senior James Logan (Wallingford, Pa.) was one of seven Pirates to garner All-League recognition for the men in 2014 and in Ithaca, Logan took home 200-breast gold for the second time in as many years; highlighting a meet in which he contributed to four top-three times. Now a nine-time All-BIG EAST honoree, the Wallingford native contributed to third-place efforts in the 400-free and 200-medley relays while also taking third in the 100-breast; one spot behind teammate and runner-up Zohar Suslovich (Holon, Israel).
Suslovich was one of five Seton Hall freshmen on the men's side that earned recognition by virtue of their exploits last week and as an individual he added another silver medal in the 200-back, finishing within .2 seconds of the top spot for the second time. He was also a part of The Hall's second-place finish in the 400-medley relay, teaming with Keith Carlino (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.), Zach DeLillo (Sinking Spring, Pa.) and classmate Noah Yanchulis (Arnold, Md.).
The 200-free champion, Yanchulis led the squad by swimming his way to All-BIG EAST honors in five different events during his debut at the conference meet, finishing as one of four men's competitors to achieve as many as five All-Conference times. The impact newcomer led off both the 400-free and school record-setting 800-free relay teams that took bronze, and came in behind only fellow rookie and conference champion Matt Zebrowski (Sayreville, N.J.) in the 200-fly.
On the women's side, freshman Sydney Simpson (Tallahassee, Fla.) took third place in the 200-breast and was one of two female swimmers to earn All-League recognition in an individual event.
Sophomore Tessa Lindner (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) spearheaded the women's effort, collecting a total of three top-three marks. Lindner established a new school record with a third-place time of 55.63 in the 100-fly and added another bronze in the 200-fly.
The Sun Prairie product also swam the third leg on a record-setting 200-medley relay squad; teaming with sophomore Melody Bush (Guelph, Ontario), junior Megan Mallon (Glen Mills, Pa.) and freshman Kat Carson (Katy, Texas) to take third in 1:44.46.
Mallon added the Pirates lone silver medal in women's competition, finishing .04 seconds off the winning pace in the 100-breast. A pair of highly successful competitors over the last two conference meets, Mallon is now a six-time All-BIG EAST performer while Bush has been tabbed All-Conference five times.
Carson is a first-time honoree as is men's freshman Sean Sali (Bridgewater, N.J.) who claimed third in the 200-breast.
Another newcomer in Cody Wimmer (Macungie, Pa.) joined Yanchulis, Tim Bosse (New Windsor, N.Y.) and Cooper Lindsley (Lancaster, Pa.) on the 800-free squad, adding to an individual program that featured top-three finishes in the 500 and 1,650-free events as well.
The five freshmen to achieve All-BIG EAST honors for the Seton Hall men combined to do so a total of 13 times.
Bosse and Carlino helped pace The Hall's relay efforts all week, each swimming on 200-medley and 400-free squads that delivered All-League times. Carlino nearly added a sixth gold medal for the Seton Hall men as well, ultimately taking silver in the 200-back with a time of 50.81 that was less than one second off the winning pace.
Over the last two seasons, Bosse (six) and Carlino (seven) have combined to earn All-BIG EAST honors in 13 events.
DeLillo will complete his career as a three-time All-BIG EAST performer after swimming on both medley relay teams while from the diving board, Eric Davidson (Overland Park, Kan.) will head into his senior campaign as a four-time medalist and four-time All-Conference selection following third-place finishes from one and three meters last week.
Overall, the 18 All-BIG EAST honorees were recognized a total of 41 times and all but three - including all six on the women's side - are eligible to return for head coach Ron Farina next season.
