Blue Devils Set Two NEC Records and Lead After Day Two at NEC Championships
Christine Rasile sets 50 free record and 200 freestyle relay also sets new NEC mark
The Central Connecticut women's swimming and diving team sits in first place after the second day of the 2016 Northeast Conference Swimming and Diving Championship being held at MIT. The Blue Devils posted a strong day on Thursday and lead the field of eight with 251 points. The Blue Devils set a pair of conference records on the night, and have set three in the first two days of the championships.
Wagner is second after six events with aa score of 223, followed by LIU Brooklyn (165), Bryant (149), St. Francis U (147), Sacred Heart (83), St. Francis Brooklyn (68) and Mount St. Mary's (65).
The night started with a second place finish from freshman Aidan Devers in the 500 freestyle. Devers swam a time of 4:58.00 to grab silver in the event and earn 17 points for the Blue Devils. Sophomore teammate Maeve Awiszus finished eighth in the same event with a time of 5:09.40, earning 11 points.
In the B final senior Reyna Zascirinskis finished second for a 10th place overall finish, earning seven points for the Blue Devils. She swam a time of 5:04.80. Classmate Selene Chilton was 16th overall with a time of 5:11.48.
Central earned a second, third and fourth place finish in the 200 Individual Medley as junior Stephanie Czulewicz, sophomore Maddy Garber and junior Lisa Ward combined to earn 48 points in the race. Czulewicz was second in 2:05.65, Garber was third in 2:06.01 and Ward was right behind in fourth at 2:06.62. Sophomore Katie MacDonnell finished in 14th place overall and earned three points for the Blue Devils.
In the 50 yard freestyle junior Christine Rasile set a new championship record (23:00) and just beat out younger sister and sophomore Lauren Rasile (23:21) to win gold in the event and earn 20 points. Lauren's second place finish gave the Blue Devils the 1-2 finish and another 17 points. Christine Rasile's time of 23:00 topped the previous championship record of 23:05 set by former Blue Devil Jamie Crowley.
Sophomore Lauren Czulewicz won the B final and placed ninth overall in the event, giving the Blue Devils nine points wwith her time of 23:85. Senior Alaina Papiro finished 13th overall in 24:22 and earned four points.
The night ended with the second NEC record of the night as the 200 freestyle relay team swam 1:33.95 to top the previous record of 1:34.22. Christine Rasile, Lauren Rasile, Lauren Czulewicz and Papiro also set a new school record and earned 40 points for the Blue Devils in the race.
Action continues on Thursday morning at 10 a.m.