Women's swimming and diving eyes team title this week at NECs
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming its best finish in program history last season, the Bryant University women's swimming and diving team heads into this week's Northeast Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with the goal of finishing one place higher.
After all, that's exactly what the Black and Gold have done in each of the last three years. They finished fourth in 2012, third in 2013 and a record second-place finish last winter. The Bulldogs, however, will have to surpass defending champ and preseason favorite Wagner.
Bryant heads to Cambridge, Mass., this week with experience and a great deal of depth, a key at any championship meet. Leading the way for the Bulldogs will be All-NEC performers Alexandra Morreale (Short Hills, N.J.), Lauren Doerrman (Oley, Pa.), Elisabeth Schauer (Pelham, N.Y.), Jamie Schaefer (Durham, N.C.) and Erin Daly (Reading, Mass.).
Morreale is a former bronze medalist in the 100 breast and will look to get back to the podium this week. She enters ninth in the 100 breast with a time of 1:08.60 and 15th in the 200 breast (2:33.34). Morreale will also be a key member of Bryant's relay teams.
Doerrman will compete in her third championship meet this winter after earning a silver medal in the 400 IM last year. She enters the week 9th in the 400 with a time of 4:41.42 and 10th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:12.96.
One of Bryant's most decorated swimmers over the last two seasons, Schauer enters her third championship meet with her eyes set on more medals. She has medaled in the 100 and 200 back in each of her first two seasons, earning a pair of bronze medals last year. This week, Schauer is seeded 11th in the 100 back (59.75) and 14th in the 200 back (2:11.06). If she can swim close to her career-best times, she'll have a chance to once again medal this weekend.
The Bulldogs will also look to Schaefer and Daly, a pair of former All-NEC swimmers, to lead the way. Schaefer earned a bronze medal in the 100 fly as a freshman, while Daly finished third in the 1650 free last year as a rookie. Schaefer is seeded 14th in the 100 fly (59.81) and 5th in the 200 fly (2:09.86). Daly is 10th in the 1650 free entering the week.
Joining Morreale in the breast events will be junior Julia Messina (Canandaigua, N.Y.) and senior Samantha Hilton (Fairfield, Conn.). Messina is eighth in the 100 breast (1:07.59) and 10th in the 200 breast (2:27.57), while Hilton has emerged as one of Bryant's top swimmers over the second half of the season. She is seeded 10th in the 100 breast (1:09.89) and 11th in the 200 breast (2:30.87).
A pair of freshmen will highlight the back events this week for the Bulldogs. Nicole Salzano (Elmwood Park, N.J.) and Valeria Watson (Mexico City, Mexico) give Bryant three top backstrokers. Salzano enters eighth in the 100 back (59.08) and sixth in the 200 back (2:06.53), while Watson is 13th (59.86) and seventh (2:06.88). Watson is also seeded 10th in the 500 with a time of 5:11.60.
Other key swimmers for the Black and Gold include junior Dana Yu (Bridgewater, Mass.), sophomore Taylor Poliseno (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) and freshman Mackenzie Kirk (San Jose, Calif.). Poliseno and Yu are seeded 10th and 11th in the 100 fly, while Kirk is 11th in the 200 IM.
In diving, Kailey Frye (Lakeville, Mass.) and Allison Yennaco (Londonderry, N.H.) will compete for the Bulldogs. Frye, the first diver in program history, will be competing in her final championship meet and is seeded ninth in the both the 1 meter and 3 meter dives. Yennaco is eighth in both events.
The NEC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships get underway on Wednesday night at the Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Mass. The meet continues through Saturday.