WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – As far as records go, although the bar may not have been set extraordinarily high as Eastern Connecticut State University got its men's swim program off the ground over the previous two years, the early returns indicate that the Warriors will be competitive as their third season unfolds.
 
After setting three individual and three relay records in its 2021-22 opener Friday night at the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jay Pentathlon, the men returned in force 18 hours later to set eight more individual and another relay record in posting their first-ever dual-meet victory, 154-66 over Regis College in their home-opener Saturday morning at the Sports Center Pool.
 
 In similar fashion to the men, the Eastern women crushed Regis, 174-86, after losing to the Pride the last two times and in four of the last five dual-meet meetings between the program. In the first-ever confrontation with Division II Stonehill College, which is launching its first full season this year on the intercollegiate level – the Eastern women were beaten, 174-86.
 
While last year's Covid season -- coupled with the normal growing pains of a new program --  did not invite immediate success or many notable individual performances for the men through their first two seasons on the varsity level, all indications are that the Warriors will be competitive in this, which can be accurately considered their second full season.
 
Saturday, sophomore Nathan Melia (Manchester) and first-year participants Joe Sylvester (Morris) and Ben D'Addario (Fairfield)  each broke two individual records, sophomore Connor Scully (Oxford) and first-year swimmer Connor Rego (Winsted) one each and the 200 medley relay broke its own record set the previous night at USJ.
 
Rego (100 butterfly) and Melia (100 backstroke) both shaved time off the records that they set Friday night with Saturday times  of 57.39 and 1:03.27, respectively. Additional records Saturday included Melia in the 50 backstroke (29.50), D'Addario in the 50 freestyle (23.53) and 50 butterfly (25.87), Sylvester in a unique combination of the 100 IM (1:02.60) and 500 freestyle (5:21.09) and Scully in the 50 breaststroke (30.28).
 
Repeating on the record-breaking 200 medley relay from USJ and dropping four more seconds off that mark (1:47.76) were Scully, Rego and Melia, who were joined Saturday by Silvester.
 
The women's 200 freestyle relay closed the women's competition by winning that event in a time of 1:48.60. Participants were senior Kerry-Rose Buchanan (Southington), sophomore Kelly Schneider (Portland), first-year sophomore Maya Brody (East Granby), and newcomer Allison Ronan (Northbridge, MA). In a photo finish, Schneider touched the wall .01 ahead of Stonehill freshman Sofiya Gobora.
 
Led by triple winner Sydney Stockwell and double winners Katie Keating and Gobora, Stonehill won 11 of 12 individual events and one relay on the afternoon.
 
The women also posted five second-place finishes. Ronan in the 200 freestyle (2:09.57) and 100 backstroke (1:05.69/a half-second off the tenth fastest time in program history), Buchanan in the 1000 freestyle (11:57.33), Brody in the 100 freestyle (59.40), and the 200 medley relay of Ronan, first-year swimmer Paige Cox (Glastonbury) and sophomores Nancy Scanlon (West Hartford) and Lindsay Weaver (Newington).
 
Eastern hosts Husson University Nov. 6 at 11 a.m.