For Immediate Release – February 9, 2007
NEWMAC Swimming and Diving
NEWMAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championship Preview
Schedule
With eleven athletes who have met or exceeded national qualifying standards, the NEWMAC Swimming and Diving Championship meet, to be held at Wellesley College on February 16-18, promises both great competition and fine performances. Springfield College is looking for its seventh consecutive title, while MIT, the 2006 runner-up hopes to knock off the defending champions. Wellesley College, last year's second runner-up, and Wheaton College, last year's fourth-place finisher, hope to vie for the title as well.
Diving Preview
This year's One- and Three-Meter diving competitions promise to be particularly hard-fought, featuring eight divers from three different schools who have met the NCAA qualifying standard at least once. (Divers must meet the NCAA standard at two dual meets or one championship meet). . . . MIT junior Doria Holbrook, last year's runner-up on both the one- and three-meter boards, hopes to capture both titles this year. . . .Wellesley sophomores Kate Sorenson and Stephanie White look to break into the top three in both events as well. . . . Springfield, under the guidance of diving coach Peter Avdoulos, brings five provisional national quailifiers to the meet: first-year Michelle Reggio, sophomore Erin White, junior Melissa Nelson, and seniors Cara Loux and Natasha Skowronski.
Swimming Preview
The swimming portion of the meet features seven
winners from last year's championship, sharing a total of 12 individual titles. Babson junior Meg Lynch, last season's NEWMAC Swimmer of the Year, hopes to repeat in three events, the 200 IM, the 100 Fly, and the 200 Fly. . . . MIT's squad includes four returning title holders. Senior Katherine Thornton, last year's 500 Freestyle champion, is currently ranked fourth in the nation in the 1650 Free. Juniors Sasha Brophy and Julianna Edwards hold two titles each, with Edwards hoping to repeat in the 100 and 200 Backstroke and Brophy looking for back-to-back titles in the 100 and 200 Free. Engineer sophomore Nicole O'Keefe hopes to retain her title in the 400 IM. . . . A deep Springfield squad is led in the pool by sophomore Moira Price, last year's 100 and 200 Breaststroke champion. Price has tentatively qualified for NCAA championship in the 200 Breaststroke. . . . Wellesley sophomore Savanna Johnson, another NCAA qualifier, hopes to repeat in the 50 Free. Johnson has the sixth fastest time in the nation at that distance. . . . Fans should also keep an eye on Wheaton junior Abby Pratt in the 100 Fly and 50 and 100 Free, Coast Guard junior Joan Hunter in the 50 and 100 Free, Mount Holyoke junior Grace Bauer in the 100 Free and 200 IM, and Smith junior Marly Pineda in the 500 and 1650 Free.
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