WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Sara Manjikian (Belmont, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week for the week of November 5-11, it was announced today by the league.
The award marks the fourth straight week in as many reporting periods that a Shark has been named the GNAC's top athlete in swimming & diving. Junior Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) was honored last week, while senior Jason Erichsen (Banks, Ore.) was tabbed for the week of October 22-28 and and senior Laura Simpson (Perkiomenville, Pa.) earned the accolade for the week of October 15-21.
Manjikian won both diving events that she entered for Simmons in a 165-135 loss to host Wellesley College on November 10. The sophomore scored 222.40 points on the one-meter board to win the event by nearly 20 points and later dominated on the three-meter board, winning the event by almost 35 points with a score of 223.25.
Manjikian has been the Sharks best diver this season, earning first place on four occasions with two each on the one and three-meter boards. The Belmont High School product scored 218.45 points on the one meter board to top both Elms College and Gordon College on October 27 and came back in the same meet to win the three-meter board with a score of 225.70. Manjikian also finished second overall on the one-meter board against Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Brandeis University, Babson College and Smith College on November 2 at the WPI Invitational.
The second-year diver earned GNAC All-Conference honors last season after winning on the three-meter board in addition to placing second on the one-meter board at the GNAC Championship in December of 2017. Manjikian also scored points for Simmons at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship last February after standing third on the three-meter board and fourth in the one-meter event. The Nursing major has scored 10 first-place finishes during her career and placed among the top four 25 times. She was also named to the NEISDA All-Academic Team last season.
The Sharks are currently 6-2 on the season and will be in action again on Saturday, November 17 when they host University of New England at 1:00 p.m. at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium.