WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Kerry Fleming (Northampton, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week for the week of January 14-20, it was announced today by the league.
Fleming earns the award for the second straight week and for the fourth time in her career. She is the fifth different Shark to receive the accolade this season, joining sophomore Sara Manjikian (Belmont, Mass.), who was chosen for the week of November 5-11, junior Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) for the week of October 29-November 4, senior Jason Erichsen (Banks, Ore.) was tabbed for the week of October 22-28 and senior Laura Simpson (Perkiomenville, Pa.) earned the honor for the week of October 15-21.
The senior won both individual events that she entered and helped the Sharks win a relay event in a 168-69 victory over Division II Merrimack College on January 19. Fleming won the 200-yard freestyle by more than five seconds with a time of 2:00.04 and added a victory in the 100-yard freestyle by more than a second with a mark of 55.45. The Northampton High School product led off Simmons' winning 200-yard freestyle relay and helped the Sharks combine on a time of 1:43.58.
For the season, the Public Relations/Marketing Communications major has been one of the most dynamic competitors on the team as well as the conference, winning eight different events and 10 overall, including the 50, 100, 200 and 500-yard freestyle, the 100 and 200-yard backstroke, the 50-yard butterfly and the 100-yard individual medley. Fleming has turned in 13 top-three finishes for the year and posted five personal-record times, including a mark of 2:10.17 in the 200-yard backstroke to place ninth overall at the prestigious MIT Winter Invitational in late November. The four-year standout has also been a key contributor in relay events for Simmons, helping it to five victories in 2018-19. She is currently unbeaten in 2019 with four individual wins in as many races.
Fleming has enjoyed tremendous success during her tenure on the Fenway campus, winning 46 events, while finishing among the top three 78 times. She has been named All-Conference twice and All-New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association in 10 individual events during her career.
The Sharks are currently 10-2 on the season in dual meet action and have registered double-digit victories in six straight seasons. They return to the pool for their final regular season dual meet on Saturday, January 26 when they host Mount Holyoke College at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium at 12:00 p.m.