Simmons Crowned 2013 GNAC Swimming & Diving Champions

BOSTON, Mass. -- After two grueling days of competition, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference crowned its 2013 Women's Swimming and Diving Champions and Men's Invitational winner this evening at the Holmes Sports Center. Simmons captured the women's championship with 422 points, while the Norwich University Cadet's took home top honors in the Men's Invitational with 335.

The women's field was faster than ever, as 13 GNAC records and seven pool records were broken over the course of the weekend's events.

The Sharks first place finish marks their tenth consecutive win as conference champions and twelfth win in the last thirteen years. Senior Jen Collins (Trumbull, Conn.) scored 36 individual points for Simmons, and broke the GNAC record in the 200 IM, 100 Fly, 100 IM and 200 Fly. In addition, she was the third leg of the winning 200 Free Relay and the final leg in the winning 400 Medley Relay.

Simmons first year Miriam Swisher (Albuquerque, N.M.) scored 36 individual points for the Sharks and took home top honors in the 50 Free, 200 Free, 200 Free and 100  Back, setting three new GNAC records in the process.

Regis College scored 126 points as runners up, with Haley Bowen scoring 30 points for the Pride. Bowen set a new GNAC record in the 200 Breast and finished second in her other three individual events.

The University of Saint Joseph finished in third place with 110 points as Jess Gale finished first in the 50 Fly and Elizabeth Cappiello finished second in the 100 Fly and 200 Fly.

Husson University took fourth place honors, scoring 82 points as Natalie Calligan finished third in the 200 Back and 50 Back and the Eagles 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay each finished in third.

Elms College placed fifth with 78 points with distance standout Devon DeGrazia posting 31 individual points. Degrazia won the 500 Free, set a new GNAC record in the 1000 Free and finished second in the 200 Free.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine finished in sixth place with 68 points behind Lauren Halvorsen's 13 individual points.

Norwich University finished in seventh place as Karla Brent finished sixth in the 50 Breast.

On the men's side, the Cadets scored 335 points, with wins in the 200 Free Relay of Asa Wolfe, Chris Greenwood, Ty Millsap and Troy Dundas and the 200 Fly by Jonathan Scholten. Stefan Koberl won the 200 IM and Jason Budde won the 3 Meter diving competition with a score of 152.35.

Elms College scored 221 points, with wins in the 500 Free, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 50 Fly, 1000 Free, 50 Breast, 100 IM, and 200 Breast. Ethan Etheridge led Elms with 34 individual points, and the Blazers set three new GNAC records over the weekend.

In third place, Regis College scored 134 points and posted wins 50 Free, 100 Fly, 200 Back, 100 Back, 100 Free, and 50 Back. The Pride had the 2013 GNAC Men's Invitational top scorer, as Kiet Luong won all four of his individual events for 36 points.  The Pride also set three new GNAC records.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine finished with 124 points led by Alex Gilvey, who posted 24 individual points. The Monks were just out touched in the 200 Free Relay by Norwich. Gilvey finished second the 200 Back, while Ben Johnson finished third in the 200 Breast.

In their first appearance in the GNAC Men's Invitational, Husson University finished with 44 points, as 1 Meter diving standout Tim Smith scored a new GNAC record of 441.90 points.

2013 GNAC Swimming and Diving Results

2013 GNAC Swimming and Diving All-Tournament team

*Release courtesy of Simmons College Sports Information Dept.