In the pool, the Gaels got the best of the Jaspers. The men's side fell 197-61, while the women were defeated by a score of 182-77.
One of the six seniors, Alexandra Hutzler (Miller Place, NY / Miller Place), was outstanding in her final home meet. She earned first place in both the 100 and 200-yard Breaststroke, two events that she holds as school records. The Long Islander was also Manhattan's top finisher in the 100-yard Butterfly, swimming in 1:01.11 for a second-place result.
Classmate Audrey Corcoran (West Boylston, MA / West Boylston) collected two top-three individual finishes on the afternoon. In the 200-yard IM, she raced 2:16.05 for the Jaspers' best time as well as second place. She finished third in the 200-yard Breaststroke in 2:35.84.
On the men's side, senior Tyler McCloskey (Orangeburg, NY / Tappan Zee) and junior Evan Battisti (East Meadow, NY / East Meadow) each earned a second-place tally. McCloskey edged out Iona's Zack Holbrook by less than two milliseconds to take the silver in the 100-yard Butterfly. Meanwhile, Battisti paced Manhattan in the 500-yard Freestyle with a time of 5:03.14 to finish second.
Manhattan returns to the pool for its regular season finale on Wednesday, January 31 when it visits Fairfield. The first event is expected to begin at 5:00 pm.
The Class of 2018
Eileen Blood (Bridgewater, NJ / Bridgewater-Raritan)
A four-year of Manhattan Swimming, she made an immediate impact when she arrived in Riverdale, setting a school record in the mile at the 2015 MAAC Championships. She has continued to use that drive into her senior season, most recently collecting two titles in the 100 and 200 short-course meter freestyle in the dual meet win against Baruch on January 15th. She will graduate in May with a degree in Accounting.
Audrey Corcoran (West Boylston, MA / West Boylston)
As a legacy of Jasper Swimming, she consistently improved each and every year in her four seasons in Riverdale. This culminated in a fantastic showing at the 2017 ECAC Championships, where she outswam her seed time in every individual event and shattered the school record in the 400-yard IM. She will graduate in May with a degree in Accounting.
Alexandra Hutzler (Miller Place, NY / Miller Place)
One of Manhattan's most decorated swimmers, she has stamped her name across the Jasper history book. She has contributed to eleven program records, including the 50, 100 and 200-yard breaststroke, the 50 and 100-yard butterfly, the 100 and 200-yard IM, the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay, and the 200 and 400-yard medley relay. She will graduate in May with a degree in Journalism.
Tyler McCloskey (Orangeburg, NY / Tappan Zee)
A four-year member of the Jaspers, he has exemplified the important traits of leading by example. In his sophomore season, he finished with the top Manhattan time in the 400-yard IM in the MAAC Championships. This year, he has excelled to become one of the team's top finishers this year. He has won multiple events in the butterfly and IM, and has also helped guide Manhattan's relays teams to top-10 finishes in the ECAC Championships. He will graduate in May with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Mitchell Rifkind (New Paltz, NY / New Paltz)
Beginning his tenure as a Jasper in 2015, he has proved his versatility and his commitment to the team. He has participated in freestyle, backstroke and individual medley events throughout his career. He improved on the 100-yard freestyle from last year's MAAC Championships to this year's ECAC Championships. He will graduate in May with a degree in Computer Science.
Brandon Shields (Stony Point, NY / George Mason)
Arriving to Riverdale in 2015, he quickly found an opportunity to showcase his skills. He currently holds the school record in the 500-yard freestyle, which he set in the 2016 MAAC Championships. This season, he outpaced his seed time in each of his appearances in the ECAC Championships, and was victorious in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle in the dual meet against Monmouth on November 18. He will graduate in May with a degree in Government, and will enlist in the Marines once he completes school.