Seven Bulldogs named all-conference

SEVEN SWIMMERS NAMED ALL-NEC

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Led by junior Casey Ostrander's (Yarmouthport, Mass.) third-straight Northeast Conference Swimmer of the Year honor, the Bryant University women's swimming and diving team placed seven members on the all-conference teams, announced by the league on Tuesday.

Senior Amy D'Olympia (Mattapoisett, Mass.), juniors Molly Smith (Belmont, Mass.) and Brianne Dwyer (Hicksville, N.Y.), sophomores Taylor DeBever (Denver, Colo.) and Kaitlin Buckley (Duxbury, Mass.) and freshman Mara Valenzuela (Bridgewater, Mass.) join Ostrander on the all-conference teams. The seven swimmers helped the Bulldogs finish fourth and score a program-high 547 points at the conference championships.

Ostrander put together one of the best meets in NEC history, claiming gold medals in the 50 free, 100 back and 200 back. She set conference records in both back events, touching the wall in 54.92 in the 100 and 1:59.69 in the 200. Ostrander also qualified for the Division 1B cut with her time in the 100 back.

DeBever earned a trio of all-conference honors for her finishes in the 100, 200 and 500 free events. She earned Second Team All-NEC honors in the 200, finishing with a time of 1:51.01. In earning third team honors in the 100 and 500, DeBever finished with times of 51.56 and 4:57.37. Her time in the 500 free set a new program record.

Swimming in her third conference meet, Smith swam to second team honors in the 200 breast. She finished with a time of 2:20.30.

Bryant's relay teams shined at the conference championships, with the 200 free, 400 free, 200 medley and 400 medley relay teams earning all-conference honors. D'Olympia and Valenzuela joined Ostrander and DeBever to take home first team honors in the 200 free. Buckley, Valenzuela, DeBever and Ostrander also earned first team all-conference honors in the 400 free, setting an NEC record with a time of 3:26.95.

Ostrander was also a part of two other all-conference relay teams. She teamed up with Dwyer, Buckley and DeBever to take home second team honors in the 200 medley relay and Buckley, Dwyer and Valenzuela to take home third team honors in the 400 medley relay.

In all, Ostrander was named all-conference seven times, DeBever earned six all-conference honors, Buckley and Valenzuela earned three all-conference nods, Dwyer was named all-conference twice and D'Olympia and Smith were each named all-conference once.