WOMEN'S SWIMMING READY FOR THIS WEEK'S NEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
February 8, 2010
BRYANT WOMEN'S SWIMMING READY FOR NEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SWIM CHAMPIONSHIP HEADQUARTERS
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's swimming team may have been idle this past weekend, but it doesn't mean they weren't working hard in the pool preparing for the biggest weekend of the year: NEC Championship Week.
For just the second time in the program's young history, Bryant
University will take part in the Northeast Conference Swimming
Championships which will begin Friday at Yale University in New
Haven, CT and conclude Saturday. The Bulldogs finished fifth
a year ago but have their eyes set higher thanks in part to several
newcomers this year that find themselves ranked among the best in
the league's performance lists.
In the latest top-16 report, freshman Casey Ostrander (Yarmouthport, Mass./Barnstable) currently holds the top times in the NEC this year in the 50 yard backstroke with a time of 27.68 second and the 100 backstroke at 58.63.
She is also fourth currently in the 50 free (24.65) and 11th in the 100 butterfly (1:01.37). Classmate Molly Smith (Belmont, Mass./ Belmont) sits third in the NEC in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.96) and second in the 200 breaststroke (2:27.08).
Senior Jess Looney (Goffstown, N.H./Goffstown) is ranked in the top-10 in both the 100 and 200 backstroke and in the 500 freestyle while freshman Kim Carballeira (East Setauket, N.Y./ Ward Melville) looks to score points for the Bulldogs in the 1000 freestyle.
Others finding themselves ranked in the conference include Jill Squillante (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) in the 50 backstroke (29.81), Abby Whittaker (Salisbury, Mass. / St. Thomas Aquinas) in the 200 butterfly (2:18.18) and Brianne Dwyer (Hicksville, N.Y. / Saint Anthony's) in both the 100 breastroke (1:10.98) and 200 breaststroke (2:38.82).
Central Connecticut won the NEC title last year with 552 points followed by Wagner which was second with 535 points. Saint Francis (PA) followed in third with 411 and Sacred Heart was fourth with 204. Bryant, swimming in its first NEC Championship, earned 159 points to finish ahead of Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis (NY).