By Michael Ghika
After three days of competition at the 2014 Northeast-10 Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at Southern Connecticut State University, Assumption College leads the women’s teams standings while the host Owls are out in front in the men’s standings.
So. Connecticut holds a commanding lead in the men's standings, while Assumption holds an 114-point lead on So. Connecticut among the women entering the fourth and final day of championship competition on Sunday.
So. Connecticut junior Raymond Cswerko, last year’s Northeast-10 Men’s Swimmer of the Year, shattered the conference record in the men’s 400 IM, finishing first with a time of 3:53.64. The previous benchmark had been 4:00.58, and it was also good for the third best time in the event in Division II this season.
Later in the night, Cswerko (pictured, right) set a new conference record in the men’s 100 breaststroke with a time of 54.81, which also reset the pool record at Hutchinson Natatorium. That mark is good for sixth best in the nation this year.
Bentley University sophomore diver Nicola Mancini (pictured, below) got things started Saturday night by setting a new conference record on the 3-meter board with a score of 452.50. The previous record had been held by So. Connecticut’s Kim Grant for the last decade. Mancini also won the 1-meter back on Thursday night.
So. Connecticut junior Dan Elliot also set a new Northeast-10 record Saturday night, winning the men’s 100 fly with a time of 50.58, while freshman teammate Christian Berg also broke a conference mark on the third day, taking the men’s 100 backstroke in 50.14.
Pace University grad student Kaitlyn Lynch, who posted the top prelim time for the women’s 100 butterfly event, won the 100 butterfly with a time of 56.82 after setting the conference record in the 50 free (24.17) on Friday. She later won the women’s 100 backstroke with a time of 57.06 on Saturday night.
Assumption senior Monique Haney, who also won the 500 free on Friday night, won the A-final Saturday with a time of 4:32.89. Haney won last year’s 400 IM as well.
Greyhounds teammate and freshman Libby Gajewski took the women’s 200 free with a time of 1:55.69, while The College of Saint Rose senior Kyle Wilson took the men’s 200 free in 1:40.97. Wilson approached the conference mark of 1:40.71.
In the women’s 100 breaststroke, So. Connecticut senior and Northeast-10 blogger Libby Hess came in first with a time of 1:05.84.
In the final event of the night, Assumption took the women’s 200 free relay with a time of 1:38.39, while So. Connecticut to the men’s event in 1:23.24, good for a new conference record.
In the men's 3-meter prelims Saturday afternoon, Le Moyne College sophomore Josh Byrne, who won the men's 1-meter final Thursday night, took first with a score of 436.55. Bentley sophomore Colton Bridge finished second (399.45) in the 3-meter prelims, while Saint Rose junior David Genender (369.55) placed third.
Sunday’s final day action will include the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and 400 free relay. The men's 3-meter final will kick off Sunday night's action at 6:00 p.m.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Women’s Standings
1. Assumption – 572
2. Southern Connecticut – 458
3. Bentley – 430
4. Pace – 409
5. Saint Rose – 394
6. Saint Michael’s – 176
7. Le Moyne – 175
8. Adelphi – 132
9. Merrimack – 18
Men’s Standings
1. Southern Connecticut – 632
2. Bentley – 476.5
3. Le Moyne – 385.5
4. Saint Rose – 362
5. Pace – 268
6. Adelphi – 168
7. Saint Michael’s – 162
