BANGOR, Maine - The Saint Joseph's College swim teams opened the 2015-16 season with a head-to-head meet at Husson University on Friday evening. Both sides fared well with 17 individual and relay victories combined - nine for the women and eight for the men - but the Eagles ultimately claimed a pair of wins, topping the women by a 126-113 score and the men by a 113-76 margin. 

The Monks opened the new season with a narrow 200-Medley relay victory, as the quintet of Julia Rowlett (Saco, Maine), Annie Fougere (Warner, N.H.), Lauren Prue (Glenburn, Maine) and Brooke Huberdeau (North Andover, Mass.) posted a 2:08.89 time to edge the Eagles' foursome, which posted a 2:10.02 effort.

The season-opener also counts as the NCAA coaching debut for first-year Head Coach Margaret Howe, who took the reigns of the Monks' ninth-year program in July.

THE RUNDOWN: WOMEN

• Junior Lauren Halvorsen (South Portland, Maine) won the 1000-Free (12:31.61) and 500-Free (6:16.82) events and finished as the runner-up in the 50-Free (30.60)
• Huberdeau topped the field in the 200-Free (2:12.99), 100-Free (1:02.22)
• Senior Alexandra Krasco (Melrose, Mass.) won the 50-Back (34.90), placed second in the 100-Back (1:15.37), and was third in the 50-Breast (41.96)
• Fougere posted second-place finishes in the 50-Breast (36.71), 100-Breast (1:21.33)
• Prue placed first in the 100-Fly with a 1:16.02 performance and was the runner-up in the 100-Breast (1:21.90) and 200-IM (2:46.56)
• Making her NCAA debut, Rowlett won the 100-Back with a 1:12.84 time and topped the 50-Fly field with a 31.97 effort
• Rowlett, Halvorsen, Fougere and Huberdeau swam together in the 200-Free relay and placed second with a 1:59.32 time

THE RUNDOWN: MEN

• Senior Alexander Gilvey (Windham, Maine) posted victories in the 200-Free (2:00.73), 50-Free (24.91) and 100-Back (59.78) races
• Senior Andrew Merlino (Natick, Mass.) won the 50-Back (28.97), 100-Free (55.23) and 50-Fly (26.07) events
• Junior Ben Johnson (Belmont, Mass.) triumphed in the 100-Fly (57.81) and 200-IM (2:12.45) and finished second in the 100-Breast (1:10.72)

Saint Joseph's returns to action next Saturday when the teams travel to Elms College for a 1:00 PM start versus the Blazers. 

#GOMONKS

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.