WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore Carli Quinlan was selected as the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Swimmer of the Year as Simmons swimming diving finishes second with a total of 781 points at the championship meet on Sunday night.

Leading the field of swimmers with 77 points, Quinlan captured a total of seven first place medals, including in the 200-yard free where she became the GNAC's new record holder. The Haverhill, Massachusetts native was integral in the Sharks recording their season-best time in the 400-yard medley relay.

Swimming the third leg of the final event of the three-day meet, Quinlan overtook Norwich's Maria Piekarczyk to take the lead for Simmons. Additionally, Quinlan created a body-length of separation for anchor leg swimmer first-year Kenzie Lowry as the Sharks cruised to a time of 4:15.64.

Earlier in the night, Quinlan claimed her third individual event title of the meet in the 100-yard free, registering a personal-best time of 53.50. Lowry joined Quinlan in the championship finals of the 100 free after posting a personal-best time of 56.79 in the prelims before managing to clip two-hundredths of a second in the finals to finish fifth with a time of 56.77.

Senior captain Katelyn Quinlan recorded a personal-best time in the prelims of 200-yard IM, clocking a time of 2:23.86 then finished third in the championship finals with a time of 2:25.00. Over the course of the three-day meet, Katelyn Quinlan earned a total of seven All-Conference Team Awards. 

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Carli Quinlan was the first Simmons swimmer to be named GNAC Swimmer of the Year since Aine Scholand in 2018-19.
• Carli Quinlan was the Individual Event Champion in the 100 free, posting a personal-best time of 53.50 in the finals.
• Senior captain Katelyn Quinlan registered a personal-best time of 2:23.86 in the prelims of the 200 IM.
• Senior Diana Martinez posted a personal-best time of 1:06.83 in the consolation finals of the 100 free.
• First-year Kenzie Lowry recorded a personal-best time of 56.77 in the finals of the 100 free.
• First-year Laura Luthi won the consolation finals of the 100 back with a personal-best time of 1:08.22.
• First-year Bee Eckels finished fourth in the 200 IM posting a personal-best time of 2:27.08.

2024 GNAC All-Conference Team

MAJOR AWARDS
Swimmer of the Year: Carli Quinlan, Simmons
Diver of the Year: Reilly Laitala, Norwich
Co-Rookie of the Year: Berkley Hutchins, Saint Joseph's (Maine) 
Co-Rookie of the Year: Rebecca Radonovich, Colby-Sawyer
Coach of the Year: Diana Matthews, Regis
Institutional Sportsmanship: Regis

All-GNAC First Team
Carli Quinlan (50 Yard Freestyle)
Carli Quinlan (100 Yard Freestyle)
Carli Quinlan (200 Yard Freestyle)
Camelia Hannah (50 Yard Backstroke)  
400 Yard Freestyle Relay (K. Quinlan, Eckels, Lowry, C. Quinlan)
800 Yard Freestyle Relay (Barry-Ruiz, K. Quinlan, Lowry, C. Quinlan)
200 Yard Medley Relay (Hannah, K. Quinlan, C. Quinlan, Lowry)
400 Yard Medley Relay (Hannah, K. Quinlan, C. Quinlan, Lowry) 

All-GNAC Second Team
Katelyn Quinlan (500 Yard Freestyle)
Isabel Barry-Ruiz (200 Yard Backstroke)
Carli Quinlan (50 Yard Fly)
Bee Eckels (100 Yard Breaststroke)
Bee Eckels (200 Yard Breaststroke)
Katelyn Quinlan (100 Yard IM)
200 Yard Freestyle (Stuck, Hannah, Eckels, Barry-Ruiz)

All-GNAC Third Team
Anna Kelly (200 Yard Butterfly)
Katelyn Quinlan (400 Yard IM)

ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP
Chloe Oliver, Albertus Magnus
Julianna DeGray, Colby-Sawyer
Joni McGillis, Elms
Jenna Tschida, Norwich
Riley Aptt, Regis
Ashley Thompson, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Camelia Hannah, Simmons
Amy Mamica, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)