Swimming And Diving Wins NEC Championship

For the seventh time, and the first time since 2017, the Central Connecticut swimming and diving team is Northeast Conference Champions. The Blue Devils scored 659.5 points, 58 more than runner-up Wagner College.

Jewelle Maziarz was named the Outstanding Diver for the 2023 Championship. The rookie won the 1-meter board and was third on the 3-meter. Maziarz is the 14 Blue Devil to win the award, and the first since Annemarie Durham won back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

Abbey Keane posted the third fastest 1,650 time in program history, swimming her way to gold in the 1,650, with a time of 17:00.19. Taylor Demarest dropped the fifth fastest time in school history in the afternoon heats, 17:11.49, and that stood up for a silver medal.

Katie Czulewicz earned bronze in the 100 freestyle swimming 51.17. Shannon Welcome placed sixth at 52.04 and Gabby Spaciano tied for 10^th with a 52.16 effort. Kelly Stotler rounded out the 100 free effort in 13^th, 53.17, as the Blue Devils extended their team lead to 89.5 points.

Megan Dunningan picked up seventh place in the 200 backstroke, at 2:06.09 and Nathalie Pena placed eighth with a swim of 2:08.02.  Kaylin McMahon went 2:08.82 to place 14^th and Jillena Plowucha was 18^th at 2:11.85.

Kyla Behrle also swimming in the afternoon, dropped nearly 40 seconds off of her best time and finished 12^th at 18:00.08 in the 1,650. Wynter Berube also swam the 1,650, and finished 22nd with an 18:37.95

Ella Discala closed quickly in the consolation heat of the 200 breaststroke, and finished 10^th with a swim of 2:22.01. Abby Bacon placed 15^th 2:27.89. Morgan O'Hara went 2:26.95 in the C Final, placing 18th in the 200 breaststroke.

Czulewicz, Dunningan, Welcome and Spaciano combined to swim a 3:28.52 in the 400 free relay, finishing fourth to close out the meet.

LIU finished third with 520.5 points, followed by Howard at 498 points. Saint Francis U was fifth, 392.5, followed by Sacred Heart (377), St Francis College (285), Merrimack (139) and Stonehill (120).

PRELIM NOTES

100 Freestyle

• Czulewicz went 51.26, the seventh fastest time in program history, and will swim in the middle of the championship final, while Welcome qualified sixth at 52.11
• Spaciano, 52.43, is the top-seed in the consolation final, and is joined there by Kelly Stotler, the 11^th seed, who went 52.47

200 Backstroke

• Pena earned her second championship berth in as many days, qualifying fifth after a 2:05.65 preliminary effort
• Dunningan is one spot behind, at 2:06.16 and will be the sixth-seed in the championship heat
• McMahon went 2:09.41 in the morning heats and will swim out of lane seven in the consolation final and Jillena Plowucha (2:12.01) qualified 21st

200 Breaststroke

• Discala is the 12^th seed in the 200, going 2:26.49 Saturday morning, and is joined by Bacon, the 14^th seed, who went 2:27.39 her prelim swim, and is the fourth seed
• Morgan O'Hara earned the 17^th spot Saturday morning, with a swim of 2:27.81