Sharks end Swim Season on a High

The Simmons College swimming and diving team closed out a terrific season this weekend with a 10th place finish at the New England Championships, held at UMass-Dartmouth.

After the final event of the 2008 New England Swimming Championships last weekend, an era came to a close for the Simmons College swimming and diving team. Longtime head coach Doug Backlund had coached his final collegiate meet. The 11 year veteran had chosen to retire from college coaching after the season had completed.

Simmons College announced a new addition to the coaching staff on Monday, when it hired Mindy Williams as the new head coach of the Swimming and Diving team.

The Simmons College swimming and diving team closed out a terrific season this weekend with a 10th place finish at the New England Championships, held at UMass-Dartmouth. The Sharks, who ended the dual meet season with a 6-2 record, and won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship, were well represented across the board in races. Junior Keri-Ann Arsenault concluded her stellar season by placing in the top 10 in all three of her events. She wound up 8th in the 500 freestyle, 6th in the 1000 free, and 4th in the 400 Individual Medley. Brittany Torelli also had herself a busy weekend, placing in three events including the 200 Breast (6), 100 free (15th) and the 100 breast (10th). Sophomore Caitlin Urcioli placed 9th in her lone event of the weekend which was the 200 free. The 400 free relay squad of Whitney Airgood, Kaitlyn Ellis, Brittany Torelli, and Keri-Ann Arsenault ended their stellar season with a 6th place finish. In all the 10th place finish was the team's best in four years, and left head coach Doug Backlund happy with the outcome. "I'm very pleased with the results; it's a credit to the kids and all their hard work this season."