ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine men's and women's swim and dive teams competed at the URI Invitational from Nov. 22-24.
 
The men's swim and dive put together a strong showing to start off the weekend, finishing in third with a score of 148. The team of Andy Sprague, Cameron Kubik, Jacob Ketch and Kevin Arpin lead the way for Maine on day one, placing a team high fourth in the 200-yard free relay (1:27.70). Spargue would later swim a team high seventh place in a singles event, the 50-yard freestyle (22.11).  Riley Clark on the diving side placed fifth in the 3-meter dive, scoring a 185.50.
 
The women's swim and dive would end up in seventh at the end of day one, scoring 89 points on the day. Emma Blair would finish 8^th in the 50-yard freestyle (24.81). PhilAnn Dixon would give the Black Bears, both men and women, their second-highest finish of the weekend, a second place in the 1 meter dive (246.90). The team of Blair, Sabrina Nuttall, Rita Chen and Sarah Mansfield placed a team high seventh for a team event on the day, finishing at a 1:38.41 time in the 200-yard free relay.
 
On day two for the men, they would remain in third-place at the end of the day, having a combined score of 369. The team of Liam Blair, Nick Gould, Kazu Temple and Andy Sprague tied the team high with a fifth-place finish on the day, this one in the 200-yard medley relay (1:38.39). The other fifth place team was Kevin Kane, Quintin Cheadle, Thomas LaFrance and Liam Blair, who all competed in the 800-yard free relay (7:15.42). Blair had a fifth place in a singles event, the 100-yard backstroke (53.34). Riley Clark had a fourth-place finish on the day, scoring a 210.65 in the 1 meter dive.
 
On day two for the women, they would remain in seventh-place at the end of the day, having a combined score of 191. The team of Caroline Strolic, Rita Chen, Sabrina Nuttall and Emma Blair got the Black Bears off to a good start, placing fifth in the 200-yard medley relay (1:48.33). Ines Khiyara would follow the event with a seventh-place finish of her own in the 400 yard IM (4:38.75). PhilAnn Dixon would place sixth in the 3-meter dive, scoring a 219.15.
 
On day three, the men would hold onto third place. Liam Blair got the Black Bears started off with a fourth-place finish in the first event for the men of the Sunday finale, the 200-yard backstroke (1:55.42). Andy Sprague would follow the event with a fifth place of his own in the 100-yard freestyle (47.83). In the final event of the weekend, Blair, Sprague, Kevin Arpin and Cameron Kubik would place fourth in the 400-yard free relay (3:13.86).
 
On day three, Caroline Strolic would give both the men's and women's teams a first-place finish. She swam a 2:24.24 in the 200-yard breaststroke. Ines Khiyara would finish fifth in the same event (2:25.54). Valentina Rengifo placed seventh in the 200-yard fly (2:11.50). The team of Khiyara, Sarah Mansfield, Kayla Loughman and Emma Blair would wrap up things for the women, placing eighth in the 400-yard free relay (3:36.69).
 
The men would end the weekend invitational with a 3^rd place, scoring a total of 538 points between the three days.
 
The women ended the weekend in seventh place, scoring a 265 between the three days.
 
Both the men's and women's swim and dive teams will be next competing at the Maine State Meet in Brunswick, Maine. That meet is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday Dec. 7.
 
-UMaine-