WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – First-year swimmer Allison Ronan (Northbridge, MA) won one individual event and swam a leg of three winning relays when the Eastern Connecticut State University women's and men's teams opened their 2021-22 seasons at the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jay Pentathlon Friday night at Bruyette Natatorium.
 
The Eastern women eased to the team title in the four-team women's meet while the Eastern men were second to Saint Joseph in the two-team men's competition. The Eastern women had 728 points, Saint Joseph 365, Albertus Magnus College 265 and Elms College 33. The Eastern men totaled 506 points in placing behind Saint Joseph (604).
 
The Eastern women took four individual firsts and won three relays in the 16-event competition while the men got a first-place finish in the 100 butterfly (57.54) from first-year swimmer Connor Rego (Winsted). Three swimmers also swam on all three winning record-setting relays for Eastern: sophomores Connor Scully (Oxford) and Nathan Melia (Manchester) and first-year swimmer Ben D'Addario (Fairfield).
 
In addition to Ronan, senior Kerry-Rose Buchanan (Southington) and sophomores Nancy Scanlon (West Hartford) and Lindsay Weaver (Newington) also won events for the women. In addition to swimming on all three winning relays along with Ronan, Buchanan won the 100 breaststroke (1:18.44). Scanlon won the 100 butterfly (1:04.68) and Weaver the 100 individual medley (1:08.71).
 
Ronan claimed the 100 backstroke in 1:07.74 to lead four Eastern swimmers at the finish, less than a second ahead of first-year swimmer Maya Brody (East Granby).
 
Competing in only its eighth official competition in its third year on the intercollegiate level, the men's team broke three individual and three relay records. In second-place finishes, Rego set program marks in the 100 freestyle (54.27) and 100 individual medley (1:03.30) and Melia in the 100 backstroke (1:04.03). The winning 200 freestyle relay was timed in a record 1:35.32, the 400 freestyle relay in 3:38.38 and the 200 medley relay in 1:51.64.
 
Saint Joseph's Jacob Wyse won the men's pentathlon (5:03.78) and  Albertus Magnus's Luci Gutierrez-Gomez won the women's pentathlon (6:06.67). No Eastern swimmer swam all five 100 yard events.
 
Eastern hosts Regis College and Stonehill College (women only) Saturday in its home-opener at 11 a.m.