NEC Women's Swimmer of the Week: Venna Andersen, LIU
NEC Women's Diver of the Week: Olivia McNicholas, SHU
NEC Women's Rookie of the Week: Ella DiScala, CCSU
NEC Men's Swimmer of the Week: Mark-Anthony Beckles, HU
NEC Men's Diver of the Week: Jordan Walker, HU
NEC Men's Rookie of the Week: Kaan Nalcaci, WC

Previous NEC Releases: November 2 | October 26 | October 20 | October 12 | October 7 | Women's Preseason Poll Release | Men's Preseason Poll Release

NEC WOMEN'S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Venna Andersen, Long Island
Jr., Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive
In a quad-meet against NJIT, Howard and Sacred Heart on Saturday, Andersen was a gold medalist in the 100-yard freestyle, setting the top time in the NEC after touching the wall in 53.00. The junior placed second in the 50-yard freestyle finishing in 24.37 for the fourth best time in the conference. Andersen swam the 50-yard freestyle split in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 23.46 and the quickest time in the NEC this season. She also posted the fastest breaststroke leg in the 200-yard medley relay, finishing in 29.58. The Lloyminster, Alberta native is now a two-time NEC Swimmer of the Week this fall. 

NEC WOMEN'S DIVER OF THE WEEK
Olivia McNicholas, Sacred Heart
Jr., Hicksville, NY/Kellenberg Memorial
Three-peating as NEC Diver of the Week, McNicholas dominated both both platforms on Saturday, taking home two gold medals. The junior posted a score of 241.90 points and a 20 point cushion from the runner-up on the 1-meter board. McNicholas recorded 244.90 points from the 3-meter platform with a 12.75 point gap. 

NEC WOMEN'S ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ella Discala, Central Connecticut
Fr., Rockaway, NJ/Mountain Lakes/Lakeland Hills Y
On Sunday in a dual meet at Stony Brook, Discala helped CCSU to a first place finish in the 400-yard medley relay, covering the breaststroke leg in 1:06.63. The rookie stood atop the podium after a 1:06.86 showing in the 100-yard breaststroke to claim a top-five time in the NEC and took another first place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:25.90 which ranks second in the conference. The Rockaway, NJ native swam the third leg in the 400-yard freestyle relay to help her team to a fourth place finish with a leg time of 58.77.

NEC MEN'S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Mark-Anthony Beckles, Howard
Sr., Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago
The winner of two straight NEC Swimmer of the Week honors, Beckles not only took home two gold medals but also posted the fastest times in the NEC in each of the events he competed in. The senior swam a 45.42 in the 100-yard freestyle and raised the bar in the 200-yard freestyle after touching the wall in 1:42.26 against NJIT and LIU. 

NEC MEN'S DIVER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Walker, Howard
So., San Antonio, TX
In earning back-to-back NEC Diver of the Week honors and his third award of the season, Walker took home a pair of silver medals on the 1-meter and 3-meter platforms on Saturday in Newark, NJ. In a tri-meet against NJIT and LIU, the sophomore scored a 214.80 in the 1-meter dive and racked up 214.70 points in the 3-meter dive.  

NEC MEN'S ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kaan Nalcaci, Wagner
Fr., Ankara, Turkey/Ted Ankara College Foundation
Nalcaci won three events in a dual meet agaisnt St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday. The rookie grabbed gold in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:45.24 and touched first in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.49. Nalcaci collected his third gold medal on the day in the 200-yard backstroke clocking in at 1:55.76, the second-fastest time in the conference this season.

NEC WOMEN'S PRIME PERFORMERS

Katie Czulewicz, CCSU, Gr.
Czulewicz took home four gold medals on Sunday against Stony Brook after posting the seventh best time in the NEC in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:56.88. The graduate tocuhed first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:10.95 for the second-best time in the conference. Czulewicz helped the Blue Devils to two first place relay wins, navigating her freestyle leg in 53.30 in the 400-yard medley relay and 54.01 in the 400-yard freestyle relay. 

Ella Discala, CCSU, Fr.
On Sunday in a dual meet at Stony Brook, Discala helped CCSU to a first place finish in the 400-yard medley relay, covering the breaststroke leg in 1:06.63. The rookie stood atop the podium after a 1:06.86 showing in the 100-yard breaststroke to claim a top-five time in the NEC and took another first place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:25.90 which ranks second in the conference. The Rockaway, NJ native swam the third leg in the 400-yard freestyle relay to help her team to a fourth place finish with a leg time of 58.77.

Michaela Spears, HU, Jr.
Spears took home a bronze and gold medal on Saturday in Newark, NJ after clocking a third place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:29.54 for the eighth quickest time in the NEC. The junior posted a 2:09.27 in the 200-yard individual medley for a first place finish and top time in the conference at NJIT.

Venna Andersen, LIU, Jr.
In a quad-meet against NJIT, Howard and Sacred Heart on Saturday, Andersen was a gold medalist in the 100-yard freestyle, setting the top time in the NEC after touching the wall in 53.00. The junior placed second in the 50-yard freestyle finishing in 24.37 for the fourth best time in the conference. Andersen swam the 50-yard freestyle split in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 23.46 and the quickest time in the NEC this season. She also posted the fastest breaststroke leg in the 200-yard medley relay, finishing in 29.58. The Lloyminster, Alberta native is now a two-time NEC Swimmer of the Week this fall. 

Ella Johnson, LIU, Gr.
Johnson placed second in the 200-yard freestyle on Saturdaym clocking a 1:56.37 that ranks fifth in the NEC. The graduate also stood atop the podium in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:05.37, the fastest in the NEC this season.

Maaike Broersma, LIU, Jr.
On Saturday, Broersma collected a gold and silver medal in a quad-meet at NJIT. The junior took home a first place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.52 that ranks second in the NEC behind her own top time. Broersma placed second in the 200-yard individual medley, touching the wall in 2:11.41 that places her fifth in the NEC.

Olivia McNicholas, SHU, Jr.
Three-peating as NEC Diver of the Week, McNicholas dominated both both platforms on Saturday, taking home two gold medals. The junior posted a score of 241.90 points and a 20 point cushion from the runner-up on the 1-meter board. McNicholas recorded 244.90 points from the 3-meter platform with a 12.75 point gap. 

Elayna Pistrin, SFBK, So.
Pistrin won three events and helped the 200-yard Terrier medley relay team to a victory on Saturday in tri-meet against Wagner and Felician. The sophomore placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.83 and won the 200-yard breaststroke, clocking in at 2:26.66 to rank third in the NEC. Pistrin also earned gold in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in 2:11.40.

Mariajose Lopez Lizarraga, SFBK, Sr.
Lizarraga won the distance freestyle events on Saturday with a pair of gold medals in the 1000-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle. The senior posted the top time in the NEC in the 1000-yard fresstyle after touching in at 10:33.24, winning by 18 seconds. She also posted the fifth-fasters time in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:13.39. Lizarraga also took fourth place in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.06.

Olivia Bishop, WC, Sr.
In a tri-meet against St. Francis Brooklyn and Felician, Bishop won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:55.56 that ranks her second in the NEC and placed first in the 100-yard freestyle in 53.27, the third-best showing in the NEC. The senior placed third in the 50-yard freestyle, posting a 25.13 to help her team to a gold finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a 52.89 leg.

Meliti Efthimiou, WC, Jr.
Efthimiou earned a pair of gold medals from the diving platforms on Saturday agaisnt St. Francis Brooklyn and Felician. The junior scored 211.88 from the 1-meter diving platform and claimed a clean sweep after totaling 224.33 from the 3-meter board.

NEC MEN'S PRIME PERFORMERS

Daniel Chocano Fernandez, LIU, Jr.
In a meet against Howard and NJIT, Fernandez placed third in the 500-yard freestyle with a time (4:45.84) that ranks third in the NEC. The junior was a bronze medalist in the 200-yard individual medley after clocking a 1:55.50 that placed him second in the NEC.

Mark-Anthony Beckles, HU, Sr.
The winner of two straight NEC Swimmer of the Week honors, Beckles not only took home two gold medals but also posted the fastest times in the NEC in each of the events he competed in. The senior swam a 45.42 in the 100-yard freestyle and raised the bar in the 200-yard freestyle after touching the wall in 1:42.26 against NJIT and LIU. 

Miles Simon, HU, Sr.
Simon continues to assert his dominance in the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley. On Saturday, the senior swam a 1:52.69 in the 200-yard backstroke posting the fastest time in the NEC. Simon finished first in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:54.23 that ranks second in the conference. He also holds the top time in the NEC from a previous meet this season. 

Luke Kennedy Thompson, HU, Sr.
In a tri-meet against NJIT and LIU, Thompson collected a pair of silver medals after swimming a 4:45.84 in the 500-yard freestyle (third in the NEC) and posted a time of 9:53.69 in the 1000-yard freestyle (third in the NEC). 

Jordan Walker, HU, Jr.
In earning back-to-back NEC Diver of the Week honors and his third award of the season, Walker took home a pair of silver medals on the 1-meter and 3-meter platforms on Saturday in Newark, NJ. In a tri-meet against NJIT and LIU, the sophomore scored a 214.80 in the 1-meter dive and racked up 214.70 points in the 3-meter dive.  

Toni Dragoja, SFBK, Fr.
Dragoja won the 100-yard freestyle against Wagner, touching in at 46.70, and took home a silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking a time of 52.34 on Saturday. The rookie was also part of the winning 400-yard freestyle relay team with a leg of 46.97.

Robert Wagner, SFBK, So.
On Saturday, Wagner took second in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.90 that ranks ninth in the NEC and was 71 miliseconds off his best time. The sophomore earned another silver medal in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 53.02 and sparked the Seahawks to a second place 400-yard freestyle relay finish with a lead leg of 48.80. Wagner also placed third in the 1000-yard freestyle and ranks seventh in the NEC after posting a time of 10:19.45.

Russell Gavino, WC, Fr.
Gavino collected three first place finishes on Saturday, swimming a 1:00.12 in the 100-yard breaststroke to rank sixth in the NEC. In the 200-yard breastroke, the rookie clocked a 2:09.84, the second fastest time in the conference. He finished off the day with a gold medal in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:59.27 for a top-five rank in the NEC.

Kaan Nalcaci, WC, Fr.
Nalcaci won three events in a dual meet agaisnt St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday. The rookie grabbed gold in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:45.24 and touched first in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.49. Nalcaci collected his third gold medal on the day in the 200-yard backstroke clocking in at 1:55.76, the second-fastest time in the conference this season.