KINGSTON, R.I. - Senior Miriam Swisher (Albuquerque, N.M.) earned the top seed for her individual event for the second straight day to lead the Simmons College women's swimming & diving team following Day Four of the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championships this morning at Tootell Aquatic Center on the campus of University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I.
Swisher turned in a mark of 52.53 seconds to win the 100-yard freestyle this morning. Swisher has already won the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle events and will go for the trifecta in tonight's finals. She also swam the anchor leg of the Sharks' winning entry in the 400-yard freestyle relay to earn the number one seed for tonight's finals. First year Laura List (Bedford, Mass.) led off the relay, followed by sophomore Kerry Fleming (Northampton, Mass.) and senior Sarah Price (New York, N.Y.) to combine on a school-record time of 3:36.94 to shave seven-tenths of a second off the previous mark.
List joins Swisher in tonight's 100-yard freestyle final as the second seed after posting a time of 54.62. Junior Natalie Giraldi (Bedford, N.H.) will also compete in tonight's finals after breaking the school record in the 100-yard individual medley with a mark of 1:02.15 to eclipse the former standard of 1:02.21 set by Jen Collins five years ago. Her time was good for the second seed heading into tonight's race and gave her three individual school records in as many days. In addition, she will vie for her third individual championship after winning the 50 and 100-yard breaststroke events.
Senior Hannah Plourde (Westfield, Mass. ) placed fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:34.39 to advance to tonight's finals, while junior Michaela Morris (Duxbury, Mass.) registered a time of 2:19.39 to post a seventh-place effort in the 200-yard butterfly for an evening finals appearance.
Simmons will have a number of competitors aiding the scoring effort tonight in the consolation finals as well. Price finished ninth in the 100-yard freestyle on a time of 56.26, while sophomore Jason Erichsen (Banks, Ore.) competes in the 200-yard breaststroke after placing 16th with a time of 2:42.61. Sophomore Kara Smith (Eastham, Mass.) and senior Julie Nguyen (Salem, Mass.) finished 10th in each of their respective events to qualify for tonight's consolation finals as well. Smith touched the wall at 2:22.58 in the 200-yard butterfly, while Nguyen clocked in at 1:06.39 in the 100-yard individual medley.