Swimming and Diving Captures Five Individual Events; Sits Second After Day One Of GNAC Championship

Swimming and Diving Captures Five Individual Events; Sits Second After Day One Of GNAC Championship
Posted: Feb 03, 2023

WELLESLEY, Mass. – After day one of the 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Meet, Simmons swimming and diving sits in second place with a total of 212 points. The Sharks trail Norwich University, who sit in first place, by 82 points.

The Sharks came out on the first day winning five of the eight swimming events. First-year swimmer Carli Quinlan solidified the coveted middle lane in the championship finals of the 200-yard freestyle with the only sub-two time in the prelims, touching the wall in 1:59.21. Later in the evening, she clipped a second from her prelim time as she swam away from the field, clocking in with a time of 1:58.42.

Quinlan also helped the Sharks secure the first-place medal in the 200-yard medley relay to kick off the championship finals in the night cap. The quartet of Camelia Hannah, Meg Driscoll, Lily Martin and Carli Quinlan bested Saint Joseph's College of Maine's squad by four seconds, touching the wall with a season-best time of 1:53.64.  

Simmons was far from done collecting hardware. Sophomore Camelia Hannah captured the second-place medal in the 50-yard butterfly, touching the wall in 28.33, while first-year Lily Martin collected, much needed 15 points for the Sharks, finishing fourth with a time of 28.43.

The championship finals of the 100-yard breaststroke was photo finish between senior Meg Driscoll and Saint Joseph's College of Maine's Tiffany Twombly. Driscoll ended up standing on top of the podium with the gold after touching the wall, .65 seconds ahead of Twombly. Fellow senior Katie Castle grabbed nine more points for the Sharks finishing in the consolation finals with a time of 1:28.17.

Junior Caroline Mazariegos brought home another first-place finish for the Sharks with a personal-best time in the 200-yard backstroke. The Framingham, Massachusetts cut two seconds off her previous best and beat out Norwich's Hannah Shaner for first with a time of 2:17.98.

Senior distance swimmer Eva Piernas finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle touching the wall with a time of 11:25.12, while fellow classmate Sophie Stevenson added to the Shark point total. Stevenson finished fifth with a season-best time of 12:17.90.  

The Sharks closed out the night, claiming first place in the 400-yard freestyle relay, beating out the Cadets squad by two seconds, touching the wall with a time of 3:45.18. 

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

  • Simmons won five of eight swimming events on the first night: 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 backstroke, 400 freestyle relay.
  • First-year Carli Quinlan captured first place in the 200 free, coming one hundredth of a second from tying her personal-best (1:58.42).
  • Senior Meg Driscoll secured the gold medal in the 100 breast with a time of 1:11.61.
  • Senior Katie Castle earned a first-place finish in the consolation finals of the 100 breast (1:28.17).
  • Sophomore Caroline Mazariegos finished first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:17.98.
  • The Sharks 400 free relay squad (Stuck, Mazariegos, Martin, Quinlan) posted a season-best time of 3:45.18 to pick up the fifth gold medla of night one.

UP NEXT
The Sharks return to the pool on day two of the GNAC Championship tomorrow morning beginning with the prelims at 10 a.m.

Scoreboard