WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons College women's swimmer Natalie Giraldi (Bedford, N.H.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Corvias Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week for the week of November 2-8, it was announced today by the league. The honor marks the second time this season that Giraldi has earned the award. She was previously selected for the week of October 19-25.
Giraldi won the 50-yard breaststroke at the New England Invitational on November 7 with a time of 31.91 to finish ahead of 30 other competitors. The non-scoring meet was hosted in Worcester, Mass. by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The sophomore also placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke with a mark of 1:10.43, just a tenth of a second out of second place. A graduate of Bedford High School, Giraldi helped pace the Sharks' 200-yard freestyle relay squad as the lead leg to place seventh out of 39 teams with a mark of 1:42.94. She also swam the breaststroke leg of the 400-yard medley relay, helping the quartet to a ninth-place effort with a time of 4:13.09 out of 32 teams. Giraldi was a part of the 200-yard medley relay team that placed 21st out of 40 teams with a time of 2:01.05 as well.
For the season, the Physical Therapy major has won four of six individual events she has entered with a pair of wins in the 50-breaststroke, a victory in the 100-yard breaststroke and a triumph in the100-yard individual medley. Giraldi has also been a part of two winning 200-yard freestyle relay teams and a pair of 200-yard medley relay squads.
Giraldi was named the GNAC Rookie of the Week a league-high seven times last season and was the Sharks second-leading point scorer. Giraldi also owns school records in the 50 and 200-yard breaststroke events in addition to helping Simmons record new standards in the 200 and 400-yard medley relay races. She highlighted her rookie campaign in 2014-15 by winning the 50-yard breaststroke at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship.
The Sharks return to competition on Saturday, November 14 when they host Wellesley College at 1:00 p.m. at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium. Prior to that, Simmons will participate in the 10th annual Ted Mullin Hour of Power for the eighth straight year on October 10. The Sharks will join thousands of athletes from collegiate, high school, and club teams across the nation and abroad to celebrate the 10th Annual Ted Mullin "Leave it in the Pool" Hour of Power Relay for Sarcoma Research, sponsored by Carleton College swimming and diving teams.