Swimming And Diving Completes NEC Championship Three-Peat

For the third consecutive year, and a Northeast Conference record ninth time overall, the Central Connecticut State swimming and diving team has won the NEC Championships. The Blue Devils accumulated 726.5 points and defeated runner-up Howard by 43 points.

Kaitlin Carroll, winner of both diving events, was named the NEC Most Outstanding Diver. It marks the 15^th time a Blue Devil diver has won the award and the first since 2023.   

The Blue Devils coaching staff of Bill Ball, Kim Caruso, Cassidy Stotler and Rob Ensling were named the NEC Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season. Caruso was also tabbed the NEC Diving Coach of the Year.

After Howard, and its 683.5 points, Saint Francis was in third place with 579.5 points. Wager finished fourth with 540 points, followed by LIU (454), Stonehill (191.5) and Le Moyne (179).

1,650 FREESTYLE

• Maggie Rutledge paced a strong effort from the Blue Devil distance swimmers, battling to a silver medal, with a swim of 17:08.50
• Abbey Keane took home the bronze with a swim of 17:10.69 and Taylor DeMarest was fourth at 17:11.46
• Sophia Pincince earned 14^th place in the event, going 18:10.36 and Wynter Berube was 16^th with a swim of 18:18.05

200 BACKSTROKE

• The Blue Devils captured silver and bronze with Megan Dunningan and Sophie Milhomens going 2-3 in the championship final
• Both swimmers were faster than their morning swims, with Dunnigan going 2:01.94, almost three second quicker, and Milhomens going 2:02.02, more than a second faster

100 FREESTYLE

• Katrine O'Leary finished fourth for the Blue Devils, going 51.45

200 BREASTSTROKE

• Grace Young won the consolation final in a time of 2:22.09 and Victoria Okurowski finished 12^th overall with a time of 2:30.76; fourth in the consolation final
• Julia Herbert won the C Final, with a time of 2:26.81

200 BUTTERFLY

• Milhomens went 2.27 seconds faster than her qualifying time in the morning to finish fifth and Gabi Wroblewski was eight at 2:08.59
• Behrle (2:11.98) and Berube (2:17.52) completed the 1,650 free and 200 fly double, placing 12^th and 16^th respectively, while Jillena Plowucha placed 14^th at 2:14.33
• Marley Milne charged home to finish second in the C Final with a swim of 2:15.35, while Lauren Lord placed seventh with a swim of 2:20.78

400 FREESTYLE RELAY

• O'Leary (53.14), Lauryn Cowing (52.30), Gabby Spaciano (52.74) and Dunnigan (51.69) closed the meet with a fifth-place finish, touching at 3:29.87

PRELIM NOTES

200 BACKSTROKE

• Both Blue Devils qualified into the championship final, and are seeded first and third
• Milhomens is the top-seed with a preliminary swim of 2:03.15, while Dunnigan is third after a 2:04.75 swim Saturday morning

100 FREESTYLE

• O'Leary earned the fourth-spot in the championship final after a morning swim of 51.38
• Lauryn Cowing (53.44) and Gabby Spaciano (53.81) will both swim in the C final Saturday night, qualifying 19^th and 24^th
• Hannah Kretkowski posted the 29^th fastest time in the preliminary heats, going 55.21, while Amelia Cieslik posted a 1:15.21 effort

200 BREASTSTROKE

• Grace Young (2:26.33) and Veronica Okurowski (2:29.85) both earned spots in the consolation final, seeded 10^th and 15^th
• Julia Herbert is the top-seed in the C Final, posting the 17^th fastest time in the morning heats at 2:30.76

200 BUTTERFLY

• CCSU has two swimmers seeded in the championship final and three will swim in the consolation final
• Wroblewski went 2:08.61 and Milhomens was 2:08.52 to earn the sixth and eighth seed in the evening session
• Behre (2:11.31) and Wynter Berube (2:12.09) are the 12^th and 13^th seed and are joined in the consolation heat by Plowucha (2:13.05) who is seeded 15^th
• Marley Milne (2:16.72) and Lauren Lord (2:17.60) are swimming in the C Final as the 18^th and 20^th best times on Saturday morning