Bryant
The Bulldogs defeated an ACC school for the first time in program history on Friday, besting Boston College, 136-126. That meet came down to the final event as Bryant’s 400 free relay team winning by less than a second. Sophomore Taylor DeBever (Denver CO/Regis Jesuit) also won three events on Friday and helped swam the opening leg of the 400 free relay. Bryant’s first-ever diver, Kailey Frye (Lakeville, MA/Apponequet Regional), finished fourth in the one meter against Wagner. It was the first time the Bulldogs have had a diver compete. Junior Casey Ostrander (Yarmouthport, MA/Barnstable) picks up NEC Swimmer of the Week honors following her four first place individual and two first place relay finishes.
CCSU
The Blue Devils went unbeaten in the women's team competition. Central defeated Southern Connecticut 291.5 to 73.5, Fairfield 282 to 81, CW Post 258 to 93, and Sacred Heart 83 to 29. Several Blue Devils had outstanding meets over the two-day event. Senior Alex Czaplicki (North Haven, CT/North Haven) captured a pair of first place finishes on the individual level. She finished first in the 200 yard free style with a time of 1:56.50. She was also first in the women's 100 yard butterfly with a time of 59.16. She was third in the 200 yard breast stroke (2:31.25). Czaplicki also participated in four different relays for the Blue Devils during the two-day event featuring a win the 200 free. Junior Taylor Friendman (Berlin, CT/Berlin) showed why she is one of the best swimmers in the Northeast Conference, placing first in three separate events. She won the 200 butterfly (2:07.74), the 200 IM (2:11.93) and the 100 free (54.32). Junior Allison Rasile (Branford, CT/Branford) won the 500 free and placed second in the 200 free and the 100 back. Sophomore Kristina Gulia (Orange, CT/Amity) won two events, both in the breast stroke. Sophomore Helene Neuhaus (Weaport, CT/Staples) was also a double winner for the Blue Devils, winning the 50 and 100 back. Senior Madison Vestergaard (Middletown, CT/Middletown) won the one meter diving event at the Blue Devil Duals over the weekend, posting a score of 178.25, on Saturday. On Sunday she completed the sweep of the diving events, this time on the 3 meter. She posted a score of 193.70. Vestergaard was the most outstanding diver last season at the NEC Championships.
Mount St. Mary’s
Mount St. Mary’s opened the season at the Bloomsburg Relays on Oct. 8, winning four of the 10 events. The Mount then lost 168-91 to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Monday. At Bloomsburg, junior Courtney Griffith (Westminster, Md./Westminster) was a member of four relay victories after swimming the second leg of the winning 300-fly relay (2:59.93), the final leg of the winning 200-free relay (1:41.65) and the final leg of the first place 400-free relay (3:44.72) and the final leg of the 500-free relay (4:58.54). The junior was also a member of the second-place 300-back relay (3:07.49). Sophomores Cat Coppler (Enfield, Conn./Enrico Fermi) and Patricia Yam (Placenta, Calif./Rosary) and freshman Erin Regan (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper Dublin) posted two-wins apiece at Bloomsburg Relays. Regan won the 200 fly and finished second in the 800 free and 100 fly against the Red Flash while Coppler won the 50 free and finished second in the 200 free and third in the 400 free on Monday.
Sacred Heart
The Pioneers were led by Meg Bailey (Walpole, MA/Walpole)at the CCSU Invitational where the senior took third in the 400 IM (4:52) and fifth in the 100 Butterfly (1:03). Sophomore Liz Bennett (Fairbanks, AK/Monroe Catholic) also performed well recording three top-ten finishes. The Pioneers next swim at Iona on Oct. 30.
St. Francis (NY)
The St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers were defeated by a score of 132-78 in their season-opener at Stony Brook on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers received a pair of individual first-place performances from Andrea Dolnay (Budapest, Hungary / St. Margaret HS) and Ewelina Gorecka (Kielce, Poland / Sport High School in Raciborz) on the day. Dolnay won the 500 freestyle in 5:30.06 and Gorecka hit the wall first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:14.82.St. Francis won the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:54.82. Dolnay, Ryenn Lyons (Hilo, Hawaii / Kamehameha), Marion Altamirano-Alanis (Monterrey, Mexico / West Valley College), and Kacie Davis (Hilo, Hawai'I / Kamehameha Hawai'i Campus) comprised the squad.
Saint Francis (PA)
The Red Flash were led by Jennifer Demjanenko (New Albany, OH/Gahanna-Lincoln) who recorded first place finishes in the 200 Free (2:09), 400 Free (4:34) and 200 IM (2:30) in St. Francis’ meet against Mount St. Mary’s. The Red Flash will next compete on Oct. 29 against Duquesne.
Wagner
The Wagner College swimming and diving team knocked off Bryant in its opening meet of the 2011-2012 season, 180-78, on Saturday. Freshman diver and NEC Diver of the Week Mallory Lee (Newark, CA/Moreau Catholic) picked up first place points in both the one and three meter boards, breaking school records with her scores of 223.59 on the one and 175.95 on the three. In the lanes, The Seahawks picked up first place points in all but one of the individual races, as sophomore Kelsey Thomas (Hammonton, NJ / Holy Spirit) earned gold in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, snapping the Wagner Pool record in the 200 with a time of 2:29.66. Fellow second-years Alexandra Cooney (Port Jervis, NY / Minisink Valley) and Meredith Ketchmark (Plainsboro, NJ / West Windsor-Plainsboro) also earned two first place wins apiece, with Cooney dominating the distances, taking the 1000 freestyle in 10:38.67 and the 500 free in 5:12.08 and Ketchmark taking the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly in times of 1:56.69 and 1:00.84 respectively.