WINTHROP, Mass. – Michaela Morris (Duxbury, Mass.) and Natalie Giraldi (Bedford, N.H.) were named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference New England Women's Swimming & Diving Co-Rookies of the Week for the week of December 1-7, it was announced by the respective leagues. Giraldi earns the GNAC honor for the fourth straight reporting period, having been named for the weeks of October 27 to November 2, November 3-9 and November 10-16.
Morris tied Giraldi for second in scoring at the 2014 GNAC Championships on December 6&7 with 32 points on three first-place finishes and a fourth-place showing. The first year won the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.25) and the 200-butterfly (2:23.99) and highlighted her weekend by breaking a conference and 16-year-old school record in the 50-butterfly with a time of 27.71. The rookie also added a fourth-place showing in the 200-backstroke with a time of 2:23.63. The Duxbury High School product also placed first with a time of 1:04.02 in the 100-butterfly in a dual meet with Babson College on December 2 and finished second in the 100-individual medley with a mark of 1:10.14.
Morris has been stellar in the butterfly for the Sharks, winning 10 of 14 events she has entered this season, including three wins in the 50, five in the 100 and two in the 200. She also has a pair of second place showings in the 100-indidivual medley with a personal-best time of 1:07.25 vs. Elms College and Gordon College on November 1 and two second place finishes in the 100-backstroke, including a career-best mark of 1:07.68 vs. Westfield State University on October 25. Both Morris and Giraldi were a part of the Sharks' winning 400-medley and 200-medley relay squads with times of 4:10.25 and 1:56.09, respectively to set new GNAC and pool records.
Giraldi totaled 32 points to tie for second at the GNAC Swimming & Diving Championships with two first place finishes and a pair of second place efforts. The rookie set a pair of conference and pool records with her two wins, posting a time of 31.28 in the 50-yard breaststroke and a mark of 1:07.84 in the 100-breaststroke. The first year finished second in the 200-breaststroke with a time of 2:33.51 and was also second in the 50-freestyle at 25.32. Giraldi won the 50-freestyle earlier in the week vs. Babson College on December 2, posting a mark of 27.11 in her first collegiate entry in the event. She also swam the fastest time in the 100-breaststroke at 1:15.04, but as a non-scoring exhibition effort.
A graduate of Bedford High School, Giraldi has won 10 of the 18 races she has scored in, but has really excelled in breaststroke events, winning eight of 12 starts. The first-year has three wins in the 50, four in the 100 and one in the 200. She also captured the 100-individual medley vs. Elms and Gordon on November 1.
Simmons will return to action on January 10, 2015 when it heads to Mount Holyoke College for a 1:00 p.m. meet.