Swimming and Diving Tops LIU Brooklyn on Senior Day

The Central Connecticut swimming and diving team hosted LIU Brooklyn in their final home meet of the season and in its final meet before the Northeast Conference Championships in two weeks.  The Blue Devils, two-time defending NEC title holders, topped the Blackbirds 170-72 on Saturday, winning their third straight dual meet and their sixth in eight dual meets this season.

The Blue Devils started the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 200 yard medley relay.  The winning team of sophomore Kaitlyn Troy, junior Maddy Garber, senior Lisa Ward and senior Christine Rasile crossed in 1:46.16 for the victory.  The team of freshman Alexis Fredricks, freshman Erika Maercklein, freshman Katelyn Mann and junior Lauren Czulewicz finished second in 1:48.60.

Freshman Valentina Gomez won the 500 yard freestyle in a time of 5:10.25 as the Blue Devils once again posted the top two finishers.  Senior Sabree Thomas was second in 5:12.51.  Junior Luna Milne crossed in 5:43.36 and finished in fourth.

Sophomore Aidan Devers won the 100 yard backstroke as the Blue Devils went 1-2-3 in the event.  Her time of 59.04 was just ahead of senior teammate Stephanie Czulewicz who finished in 59.30.  Junior Maeve Awiszus was third in 59.97.

Ward won the 100 yard breaststroke in a time of 1:05.81.  Sophomore Kailey Demers was second in 1:07.84 and Mann finished fourth in 1:08.70.

Gomez finished second in the 200 yard butterfly in a time of 2:12.35.  Sophomore Grace Moriarty was fourth in 2:16.32 and Luna Milne was fifth in 2:24.36.

Lauren Czulewicz finished second in the 50 freestyle in a time of 24.43.  Sophomore Tori Poole was fourth in 26.14 and freshman Grace Fredricks was fifth in 26.23.

Junior Annemarie Durham continued to impress as she placed first in the 1 meter diving event with a score of 243.45.  Freshman Kirsten Bednarz was second with a score of 204.40 and classmate Lauren Acey finished third with a score of 175.5.

Rasile opened up the second half of the meet setting a new pool record in the 100 freestyle with a blistering time of 51.41.  Her time was .46 faster than the previous record of 51.87 set by former standout Jamie Crowley in 2006.  It was the longest standing pool record on the books for the Blue Devils.  Troy was second in 54.69 for the Blue Devils.

Devers won her second event of the day, the 200 backstroke, in a time of 2:04.87.  Awiszus finished second in 2:06.08 and Stephanie Czulewicz was third in 2:08.60.

Sophomore Kailey Demers won the 200 yard breaststroke in a time of 2:24.83, ahead of freshmen teammates Grace Regan, 2:26.48, and Keelin Kendall, 2:29.56.

Freshman Erika Maercklein won the 200 yard freestyle in a time of 1:55.13. 

The Blue Devils went 2-3-4 in the 100 butterfly as Thomas was second (58.78), Alexis Fredricks was third (1:00.78) and Poole was fourth (1:00.98)

Durham won the 3-meter diving event with a score of 279.05.  Bednarz was second (187.8) and Acey third (152.4).

Garber placed first in the 200 yard IM with a time of 2:09.20.  Kendall was third in 2:14.84 and freshman Katelyn Mann was fourth in 2:15.92.

The Blue Devils ended the meet by setting the second pool record of the day, this time in the 200 yard freestyle relay.  The team of Lauren Czulewicz, Maercklein, Rasile and Troy won the event in 1:37.74, topping their own record of 1:37.76 set earlier this season.