Villanova’s swim and dive teams capped off the second week of The Caritas Cup with the Mid-Distance Madness Event. The conclusion of this weekend’s activities marks the halfway point of the race series with the Caritas Cup Spectacular, and the Series Championship is all that remains.

This week’s results sees both the return of familiar names and the addition of new ones, whose impressive performances earned these athletes special caps for each respective event.

The Green Cap, awarded to the leaders of the short event, went to sophomore Charlie Hinckley and senior Milly Routledge.

Freshman Richard Nolan was awarded the Red Cap for his performance in the long distance race. Earning the Red Cap alongside him was senior women’s teammate Emily Provenzo.

Nolan’s impressive play this weekend saw him strengthen his grip on the White Cap, awarded to the freshman athlete with the most points in overall classification. Nolan’s 33 total points places him ahead of teammate Nolan Danus, who stands in second place with 26 points. For the women’s team, freshman Audrey Pastorek (22 points) currently sits at first place for the White Cap with a sizable 10-point lead over second place teammate Molly Benson (12 points).

Junior Kelly Montesi and sophomore Kevin Geist were both awarded the Blue Cap, given to the athletes closest to NCAA qualification standards, for their respective teams. 

Montesi and Geist also stand atop their respective standings in the race for the Yellow Cap, awarded to the total points leaders of the Caritas Cup Race Series. Montesi sits at the top with 40 total points, 20 from both the I.M. Great and Mid-Distance Madness. She continues to build a healthy lead over sophomore teammate Kaitlin Gravell (30 total points) and senior Rayann Jaryszak (23 points).

Geist, who currently leads the men’s team with 35 total points, 15 and 20 points from the I.M. Great and Mid-Distance Madness respectively, is involved in a much closer race for the Yellow Cap. Trailing close behind is freshman Nolan (33 points) followed by senior Mishko Prikasky (27 points).

The conclusion of this weekend’s Mid-Distance Madness brings the team one step closer to the finale of this exciting series. But most important are the takeaways gained thus far.

The performance of the athletes shows much promise for the outlook of the swim and dive teams if a season eventually occurs. For the women’s team, upperclassmen like Montesi continue to build upon their impressive play from the previous season, sure to form a strong backbone for the entire team. 

And, with the addition of promising underclassmen like freshman standout Nolan, the men’s team finds itself with the additional pieces needed to make an even stronger push for a title.

With the possibility of an official season still up in the air, all the teams can do is continue to train and stay prepared. But, this year’s Caritas Cup has shown that there’s much to look forward to.