Scholand Breaks Another NEISDA/School Record; Swimming & Diving Sends Eight to Day Three Finals

BOSTON, Mass. ? Sophomore transfer Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) won all three races in her debut for the Simmons College women?s swimming & diving team in a 192-96 victory over visiting Westfield State University this afternoon at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 1-0 in their season opener, while the Owls fall to 0-1.  KINGSTON, R.I. -- Sophomore Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) obliterated the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association and Simmons College school record for the 1000-yard freestyle to lead the women's swimming & diving team on Day Three of the NEISDA Championship at the Tootell Aquatics Center on the campus of host University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I. BOSTON, Mass. ? Sophomore transfer Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) won all three races in her debut for the Simmons College women?s swimming & diving team in a 192-96 victory over visiting Westfield State University this afternoon at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 1-0 in their season opener, while the Owls fall to 0-1. 
Posted: Feb 17, 2018

KINGSTON, R.I. -- Sophomore Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) obliterated the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association and Simmons College school record for the 1000-yard freestyle to lead the women's swimming & diving team on Day Three of the NEISDA Championship at the Tootell Aquatics Center on the campus of host University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I.

Scholand's time of 10:09.47 topped the field in the morning's only timed final of the day by more than 47 seconds, while erasing the former NEISDA standard of 10:29.19 set by Keene State College's Hope Walsh at last year's championship meet. The time also smashed the former school mark of 10:36.33 set by teammate Laura Simpson (Perkiomenville, Pa.) in 2017.

The one-meter diving finals also concluded this morning, following the swimming events, with first year Sara Manjikian (Belmont, Mass.) finishing fourth with 357.80 points and sophomore Cristina Samaniego (Avon, Conn.) placing third with a score of 296.00 points to give Simmons a 644-596 lead heading into tonight's remaining final events.

The Sharks saw eight swimmers and a relay team qualify for tonight's final, including two number one seeds. Simmons will feature four swimmers in the 200-yard freestyle final in addition to a pair of competitors in the event's consolation final. 

First year Maria Soraghan (East Hampstead, N.H.) won the 200-yard freestyle preliminary race with a time of 1:56.83, while Simpson placed third with a mark of 1:58.05 with junior Kerry Fleming (Northampton, Mass.) right behind at 1:58.07. First year Emily Buttafuoco (Londonderry, N.H.) gave the Sharks four of the top five times in the race with a personal-best clip of 1:59.05 to finish fifth. Junior Kara Smith (Eastham, Mass.) and sophomore Haley McCurdy (Framingham, Mass.) each advanced to the consolation final of the event with Smith turning in a personal-record time of 2:04.23 to place 10th and McCurdy finishing 13th on a personal-best mark of 2:06.66.

Senior Natalie Giraldi (Bedford, N.H.) earned the top seed in tonight's 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.13 and first year Elizabeth Bartlett (Richmond, Mass.) clocked in at a personal-best 1:09.00 to finish fifth. Junior Jason Erichsen (Banks, Ore.) will compete in the event's consolation final after placing 11th with a time of 1:11.22.

Senior Michaela Morris (Duxbury, Mass.) finished third in the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 27.36 to advance to tonight's final, while first year Haley Summers (Hudson, N.H.) placed 17th wtih a mark of 28.81 to earn the alternate spot for tonight's consolation final. Sophomore Laura List (Bedford, Mass.) also took third place in her event to give Simmons five top-three seeds in the four individual events that it will vie for in tonight's finals. Her time of 1:00.86 in the 100-yard backstroke was the fastest of her career.

The Sharks began the day by tying for the fastest time in the 200-yard medley relay with Soraghan swimming the opening backstroke, followed by Giraldi's breaststroke clip, Morris on the butterfly and List swimming the freestyle anchor to combine for a time of 1:50.32.

Simmons returns to the pool tonight at 6:00 p.m. for the Day Three Final.

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