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In a poll of the Northeast Conference’s (NEC) seven swimming institutions, Wagner was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2014 title, the Conference announced Friday. The Seahawks garnered four first place votes.
Central Connecticut tied for second in the poll with four-time defending champion Saint Francis U, which earned two first place nods.
Fourth in the polling was Bryant, which took the remaining first place vote. Mount St. Mary’s landed the fifth spot, while Sacred Heart and St. Francis Brooklyn rounded out the list.
The Seahawks return a veteran squad, including nine seniors. Head coach Colin Shannahan, the 2013 NEC Coach of the Year, returns for his third season alongside head diving coach Meg Marco, who is in her second season. Joining the staff this year is Sarah Tanner, an accomplished former athlete for the University of North Carolina.
Wagner is well-balanced overall, led by senior Sarah Menendez (Land O’Lakes, FL/Wharton). Menendez earned the school record in the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyle last season, and also won the 100-yard freestyle event at NEC Championships. Sophomore Amanda Lucia (Easthampton, MA/Easthampton) also returns after a breakout freshman campaign. The defending NEC 200-yard butterfly champion, she earned NEC Rookie of the Meet and Co-Outstanding Swimmer of the Year last season.
In only its third year, the Wagner diving program has already established itself in the NEC as a consistent source of talent. In the 2012-2013 season, Erica Curry (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) earned NEC Diver of the Week accolades four times and Mallory Lee (Newark, CA/Moreau Catholic) once. A finalist on both boards at the 2013 NEC Championships, Lee placed second on both the one-meter and the three-meter boards. She also received All-NEC accolades for both boards. Also a finalist at the 2013 NEC Championships, Curry broke her hand after hitting the board on a dive. She continued to compete, placing fourth on both the one-meter and the three-meter boards.
2013 NEC Diving Coach of the Year Michael Trueworthy and Central Connecticut return the 2013 NEC Diver of the Meet Jessica Goldman (Newington, CT/Newington). Goldman won the 1 and 3-meter diving events. The sophomore not only placed first in the 3-meter with her score of 254.40, Goldman broke the previous NEC six-dive record of 248.40 set in 2011.
Saint Francis U will defend its title and go for five-straight under a new head coach. Rory Coleman took the reigns of the program in July. Coleman arrives in Loretto after an eight-year stint as a men’s and women’s assistant coach at the University of Delaware. The Red Flash return senior Katrina Wilhite (Sparks, NV/Edward C. Reed) and junior Rebecca Peer (Chelsea, Canada/Philemon Wright). Wilhite was part of a record-setting relay team in the 400-yard medley relay in 3:47.94. She is second in SFU history in the 200-yard backstroke and fifth in school history in the 100-yard backstroke. Peer was part of the relay team that set the NEC record in the 200-yard medley relay (1:42.79). She is also the school record holder in the 200-yard backstroke while holding top-10 times in the 200-yard individual medley, the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly.
The 2013-14 season kicked off October 5. The 2014 NEC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will be held on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 19-22 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Cambridge section of Boston, MA.