Women's Swim & Dive heads to Cambridge for NEC Championships

NEC Swim & Dive Championship Headquarters

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's swimming and diving team will compete in the 2016 Northeast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships this week at the Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Mass.

The championship meet gets underway Wednesday night and continues through Saturday evening. Bryant finished third at last year's meet and have third or better in each of the last three seasons. Central Connecticut is the defending champion.

For the first time in program history, the Black and Gold enter the championship meet as the favorites in the diving events. Freshman Kelci Abernethy (Chandler, Ariz.), a four-time NEC Diver of the Week, leads the way for Bryant and enters the week seeded first in both the 1 and 3 meter dives. In the 1 meter, classmates Ann Burdick (Glenmont, N.Y.), and Carissa Stemen (Naples, Fla.) are seeded 2-3 and Stephanie Jennings (Elmont, N.Y.) is fifth.

Abernethy is also the top seed on the high board, while Jennings and Stemen are 3-4 entering the week. Bryant's highest finish in the diving events is seventh.

Seniors Lauren Doerrman (Oley, Pa.), Jamie Schaefer (Durham, N.C.) and Julia Messina (Canandaigua, N.Y.) lead a veteran group of swimmers that are looking to go out on a high note. Doerrman enters her final championship meet looking for an elusive gold medal in the 400 IM. She has finished second in the event in each of her three seasons and enters seeded 12th this year. Doerrman is also seeded 13th in the 200 IM and 13th in the 200 fly.

Schaefer enters her final meet as a two-time medalist at the championships, earning bronze medals in the 100 and 200 fly. This week, she is seeded fourth in the 200 fly, 11th in the 100 fly and 18th in the 200 IM. Messina is coming off a silver medal in the 100 breast last winter and is seeded sixth in the event heading into the week. She is also eighth in the 200 breast.

Bryant also features several other swimmers that have a chance to excel at the championships. Junior Erin Daly (Reading, Mass.) is a two-time medalist and enters this week seeded third in the 1650 free, seventh in the 500 free and 11th in the 200 free. Sophomore Mackenzie Kirk (San Jose, Calif.) is also seeded high in the 1650 free (eighth), while junior Samantha Torrez (Whittier, Calif.) will join Schaefer in the 100 fly and is seeded 13th.

Sophomore Nicole Salzano (Elmwood Park, N.J.) and freshman Jillian Rice (Trumbull, Conn.) also have a chance to put together a special meet. Salzano is fourth in the 200 back and fifth in the 100 back and is coming off finals appearances in both events as a rookie. One of the top freshmen in the NEC this season, Rice enters the week seeded eighth in the 100 free and ninth in the 200 free. Sophomore Valeria Watson (Mexico City, Mexico) joins Salzano in the 200 back and is seeded 11th.