BOSTON – Winning 10 of 16 events, Simmons swimming and diving (1-0) opened the 2022-23 campaign with a victory over Westfield State University, 146-118, on Friday evening. 

Beginning the night with the 200-yard medley relay, the Simmons A relay team of Camelia Hannah, Meg Driscoll, Lily Martin and Carli Quinlan claimed first with a time of 2:00.45. The Sharks B relay team of Caroline Mazariegos, Katelyn Quinlan, Eva Piernas and Hailey Stuck finished third – five tenths of a second behind the Owls' squad.

First-year Carli Quinlan swam away with the field in the 200-yard freestyle, claiming first place with a time of 2:02.73 – beating her next closest swimmer by four seconds. Six events later, she secured first place in the 100-yard freestyle, beating out, teammate Lily Martin by three seconds with a time of 56.30.

Quinlan was one of two Shark swimmers to win a pair of events with sophomore Camelia Hannah being the second. In a tight sprint, 50-yard backstroke, Hannah touched the wall .15 seconds ahead of junior Caroline Mazariegos. Hannah also claimed first place in the 50-yard butterfly, finishing with a time of 29.45.

Senior Eva Piernas distanced herself from her competitors in the 500-yard freestyle, touching the wall with a time of 5:55.72 – more than seven seconds better than the rest of the field. Fellow classmate, senior Meg Driscoll took first by a second in last individual event of the night – the 100-yard IM – finishing one second ahead of junior Katelyn Quinan.

The Sharks' 200-yard freestyle relay squad of Caroline Mazariegos, Lily Martin, Katelyn Quinlan, and Carli Quinlan round out the night with their 10^th event win of the night. The quartet touched the wall with a time of 1:47.79.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• First-year Carli Quinlan and sophomore Camelia Hannah were the only two swimmers to win multiple events on the night. Quinlan won the 100- and 200-yard freestyles; Hannah secured first in the 50-yard backstroke and 50-yard butterfly.
• Senior distance swimmer Eva Piernas ran away from the field in the 500-yard free with a time of 5:55.72.
• The Sharks two 200-yard medley relay quartets performed exceptionally. The A squad of Hannah, Driscoll, Martin, and Carli Quinlan finished first with a time of 2:00.45; while the B quartet (Mazariegos, Katelyn Quinlan, Piernas, Stuck) posted a time of 2:02.95

UP NEXT
Simmons returns to the pool tomorrow afternoon for a interdivisional dual meet against Merrimack College at 2:30 p.m.