KINGSTON, R.I. -- Simmons Swimming & Diving scored 908 points, capturing 3rd place out of 20 teams at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships Sunday evening at the University of Rhode Island. The Sharks set 11 new school records during the weekend and Head Coach Mindy Williams was named NEISDA Women's Swim Coach of the Year.
The Sharks, who finished ahead of Saint Michael's College, Eastern Connecticut State, and Colby-Sawyer College, started the weekend strong, finishing second in the 200 Free Relay with a new school record. Shylee Stewart (Eastham, Mass.), Amy Davis (Southbury, Conn.), Jen Collins (Trumbull, Conn.) and Miriam Swisher (Albuquerque, N.M.) swam almost two seconds faster than their prelim time, scoring 56 points for Simmons.
First year Miriam Swisher was stellar in her first New England's, finishing second in the 50, 100 and 200 Free events with new school records in each event. Swisher also set a new school record in the 100 Back during the 400 Medley Relay. Classmate Shylee Stewart took top honors in the 100 Breast with a new school record and set another school record in the 50 Breast with her split during the race. Stewart also finished third in the 100 Free behind Swisher and fourth in the 50 Free.
Senior Jen Collins finished fifth in the 100 Fly with another new school record and also finished fifth, 100 IM and the 200 IM, while first year Hannah Plourde (Westfield, Mass.) came in 5th in the 400 IM with a new school record, 11th in the 200 IM, and broke the top 10 in the 200 Breast. Senior Amy Davis finished 9th in the 50 Fly and 12th in the 100 Fly. First Year Emmie Lindholm (Sterling, Mass.) was the Sharks top distance swimmer, finishing in the top 20 in the 500 Free, 1000 Free and 1650 Free. Maggie Kirby (Arnold, Md.) also broke the Sharks 400 IM record and finished in the top eight.
The Sharks relays were in top form throughout the weekend. After a second place finish in the 200 Free Relay, the 400 Medley Relay of Swisher, Stewart, Collins and Chloe Davis (Merrimack, N.H.) finished fourth, crushing their prelim time by more than four seconds and setting a new school record by nine seconds. In the 200 Medley Relay, Joleigh Ferro (Pittsfield, Mass.), Jordan Mattheisen (Seattle, Was.), A. Davis, and C. Davis finished seventh.
The Sharks 800 Free Relay of Collins, Stewart, A. Davis and Swisher swam to a first place finish, in a time of 7:59.69, a new school record by 23 seconds, adding 64 points to the Sharks team score.
"This has been an incredible season for us. To come home from New Englands with a third place plaque is so exciting, and it is the appropriate finish to a very successful year. I could not be more proud of our student-athletes," said Coach Williams.