The Binghamton swimming and diving teams won their first meets of the season in their home opener meet on Saturday. The men’s team defeated Niagara 219-79, but the women fell short 160-140. However, the women’s team did not come away without a win, defeating Siena 230-70.

Senior divers Chris Egan and Amanda McGraw qualified for NCAA Zones in diving. McGraw won both the women’s one-meter and three-meter dive events with scores of 279.53 and 261.08. With a required score of 265.00 to qualify for NCAA Zones, the senior qualified in the one-meter, while Egan’s score of 312.30 also allowed him to surpass the 300.00 score standard for qualification in the same event.

“They’re a strong group and we rely heavily on them,” said Binghamton head coach Jerry Cummiskey. “Certainly proud of them and hope they keep it going.”

On the men’s side, freshman Elijah Lanfear placed in the gold position three times during the meet. He won the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.19, 100 freestyle with 47.57 and 100 butterfly with 50.37. The men held a comfortable lead throughout the entire meet and held off Niagara to get their first win of the season. Lanfear was also one-fourth of the winning 200 medley relay.

Two other swimmers for the men won twice. Sophomore Jake Vecchio won the 100 and 200 backstroke with times of 52.66 and 1:58.14, respectively. Similarly, fellow sophomore Lewis Lin took both breaststroke competitions with times of 56.88 and 2:07.10.

“We certainly expected to swim well and build on today, we got some tough competition coming up and we’re just looking to keep working hard and get better,” Cummiskey said.

Despite a hot start, the women’s team was unable to close out the Purple Eagles. At the start of the meet, the Bearcats were able to get out to a lead by winning the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke events. That start earned them the win against Siena.

Sophomore Courtney Moane won the 100 breaststroke and the 200 breaststroke with times of 1:06.53 and (2:25.17, respectively, and sophomore Maddie Hoover won the 200 freestyle, clocking in at 1:57.73.

“I think we swam and competed well,” Cummiskey said. “We gotta get a little tougher and get a little better, but we’ve been training hard through October so [it’s] not a surprise that we’re hurting a bit … [but we’re] happy with the way we competed.”

The meet took a turn toward the midway point as Niagara’s women’s team started to come back. It came down to the last race of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay. Both the Bearcats’ home crowd and away fans were locked into the race. It was loud and rowdy in the Patricia A. Saunders Aquatic Center, creating an intense environment for the last races.

“To have that kind of atmosphere in a dual meet in October… that was fun,” Cummiskey said.

Both men and women are scheduled to head to Bucknell on Saturday, Oct. 23. The meet is scheduled for 1 p.m. Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.