WINCHESTER, Mass. – Simmons College women's swimmer Miriam Swisher (Albuquerque, N.M.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week, it was announced today by the league.
The honor marks the third straight week that a Simmons swimmer has been selected for the award and the second week in a row that Swisher has been tabbed with the honor. Hillary Wong (Quincy, Mass.) received the distinction for the week of October 20-26 for the Sharks. Swisher earned the accolade three times last year as well.
The sophomore won all three individual events that she entered and also helped Simmons win the 200-medley relay event in a 156-106 victory at University of New England on November 8. Swisher turned in a time of 2:01.72 in the 200-yard freestyle to shatter the pool record at UNE by nearly three seconds. The La Cueva High School product also finished first in the 100-yard backstroke with a mark of 1:03.47 and the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.82. She joined first years Michaela Morris (Duxbury, Mass.), Natalie Giraldi (Bedford, N.H.) and Baylee Carroll (Massena, N.Y.) to register a time of 1:57.33 to win the 200-medley relay.
Swisher continues to dominate this season. She has enjoyed an outstanding second campaign with Simmons, winning all eight individual events she has entered this year, including the 100-back and 50-free three times each, the 200-free and set a personal-record time in the 50-back at Westfield State University with a mark of 28.50 on October 25. She was also a part of three winning relays, having competed in this week's 200-medley relay, last week's 200-free relay and the 200-medley relay at Westfield.
The second year swimmer turned in a phenomenal rookie season in 2013-14, setting five individual school records in the 50, 100 and 200 free as well as the 50 and 100 back events in addition to being a member of school-record setting 200, 400 and 800 free relay as well as 200 and 400 medley relay squads. Swisher won the GNAC Championship last year in the 50, 100 and 200 free in addition to the 100 back and helped the Sharks take the GNAC title in the 200 free and 400 medley relay events. She also finished second in the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships in the 50, 100 and 200 free events last year and helped the Simmons 800 free relay team win the event.
The Sharks are currently 4-0 on the season and will swim again on Saturday, November 15 when they head to Wellesley, Mass. to take on Wellesley College at 1:00 p.m.