PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Simmons College swimming & diving team finished ninth at the 2015 Eastern College Athletic Conference Open Swimming & Diving Championships after three days of competition at Trees Pool on the campus of University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Sharks scored 105.5 points in their first-ever trip to the ECAC Championships, finishing ahead of Division I University of Baltimore County (99 points), Columbia University (74 points) and Saint Peter's University (45 points) as well as Harvard University and Rider University. The University of Pittsburgh captured the championship with 590.5 points.

Simmons completed the final day of competition by finishing eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay, fueled by lead leg sophomore Miriam Swisher (Albuquerque, N.M.), followed by seniors Joleigh Ferro (Pittsfield, Mass.) and Chloe Davis (Merrimack, N.H.) swimming in the last event of their respective collegiate careers and anchored by sophomore Shylee Stewart (Eastham, Mass.). The quartet posted a time of 3:38.99. 

Swisher placed 12th in the 100-yard freestyle, earlier in the evening, with a time of 52.31 as the highest finish by a Division III competitor.

The Sharks were the top finishing Division III school in every event they competed in during the finals throughout the weekend.

For the meet, Simmons placed sixth in the 200-freestyle relay with a school-record time of 1:37.71 behind the effort of Swisher, Ferro, Davis and Stewart. The 400-medley relay team also broke a record on the first day of competition with Swisher, first years Natalie Giraldi (Bedford, N.H.) and Michaela Morris (Duxbury, Mass.) and anchor Stewart hitting the wall at 3:56.80 to place fourth.  Swisher tied for 13th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.08. The quartet of Swisher, Giraldi, Morris and Stewart continued its success in medley relay events with a ninth-place showing in the consolation finals on the second day with a time of 1:49.53, while Giraldi placed 16th in the 100-yard breaststroke with a mark of 1:08.35. Swisher also broke her own school record in 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.81 in the preliminaries on day two. 

The Sharks finish, perhaps, the most successful season in school history. Simmons closed out its dual-meet results this season by winning five straight for a 10-2 record to tie the school standard for victories in a campaign. The Sharks won their 11th consecutive GNAC Championship earlier in the season and finished third for the second straight year at the NEISDA Championships. The team also broke 11 school records.