5 NESCAC Meet Records Fall In Stunning Finals Session

Photo Courtesy: Hayley Good

By Cathleen Pruden, Swimming World College Intern

While Williams still leads the way in the team scores, some non-Eph swimmers swam some attention-grabbing races as well. Emily Hyde of Amherst put together a jaw dropping 100 breaststroke to highlight the night.

The Ephs started the night with a meet record, this time in the 200 medley relay. Katherine Bennett, Olivia Clark, Emma Waddell, and Maia Hare finished in 1:42.56. Amherst touched not far behind (1:42.94) for second. Hyde’s 27.94 breaststroke split stood out. Stephanie Moriarty, Sarah Conklin, and Destin Groff completed the relay. Bates placed third in 1:44.67 with the team of Whitney Paine, Melissa Paione, Lindsey Prelgovisk, and Logan McGill.

Alison McNamara of Williams and Valerie Urban of Conn swam stroke for stroke in the 1000, though McNamara got her hand to the wall first, touching in 10:12.30, just ahead of Urban’s 10:13.30. Emma Sawkins of Williams faded in the final 300 to finish third (10:18.59).

Megan Pierce dominated the 400 IM. The junior swam a pool and meet record time of 4:17.47, a time that would have won the Eph the NCAA Title last season. Sarah Daher finished second (4:24.91) for Bates. Bridgitte Kwong touched third (4:29.21) for Amherst.

In the 100 butterfly, Waddell dropped nearly an additional second to set a new pool and meet record time of 53.37, faster than her own NCAA winning time last March. Conklin touched second in an also impressive 54.97. Hare finished third with a 55.30. The entire A final finished under the NCAA B cut.

Middlebury sophomore Isabel Wyer earned her second NESCAC title of the weekend, stopping the clock at 1:50.36 in the 200 freestyle. She lead a trio of 1:50s, as Conn’s Sam Pierce (1:50.49) and Williams’ Lauren Jones (1:50.98) also earned podium finishes.

Hyde did the nearly unthinkable tonight and swam the 100 breaststroke over a half second faster than she did this morning, when she clocked the NCAA A cut. The Amherst senior took the swim out in a 28.67, one and a half seconds ahead of the field, before finishing in 1:00.99. She is now less than a half second off the NESCAC and NCAA D3 record of 1:00.54. She can also aim for the NCAA meet record (1:00.85) in March. Mariah Rawding finished runner-up for Bowdoin with a 1:03.39, while Paione was third (1:04.41) for Bates.

The Williams women swept the podium spots in the 100 backstroke. Olivia Jackson, Bennett, and Katherine Priest swam times of 55.47, 55.62, and 57.12 to add 87 points to Williams’ lead.

The Ephs took down another meet record in the 800 freestyle relay. Pierce, Jones, Brenna Bguyen, and Waddell swam an impressive 7:27.00. Conn’s Emma Rotner, Olivia Haskell, Pierce, and Urban finished at 7:31.90. Amherst claimed third in 7:33.85 with Hyde, Livia Domenig, Zoe Pappas, and Dorit Song.

Team Scores through Event 17:

Williams 1466
Amherst 976
Bates 944.5
Conn 771
Middlebury 769.5
Bowdoin 683
Tufts 522
Wesleyan 380
Hamilton 343
Colby 298
Trinity 160

Full Results Available Here: 2016 New England Small College Athletic Conference Women: Day Two – Results

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