The University of New Hampshire women’s swimming and diving team is in first place after the first day of the America East Swimming & Diving Championships with 125 points. The four-day event is being held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The quartet of sophomore Liza Baykova (Moscow, Russia), freshman Brittany Moffatt (Cedar Falls, Iowa), sophomore Jessica Harper (Easthampton, Mass.) and freshman Brittany Driscoll (Wallingford, Conn.) set a new conference record meet record and pool record in the 800-yard freestyle relay with an ECAC-A qualifying time of seven minutes, 16.14 points.
Sophomore diver Hailee Miller (Milton, Mass.) took third place in the 1-meter dive after recording a score of 214.25 points. Classmate Savanna Desmarais (Durham, N.H.) came in fourth place with a score of 210.75 points.
In the third and final event of the first day, freshman Linnea Lemerise (Brentwood, N.H.), senior Bettina Caspersen (Lyngby, Denmark), freshman Vivienne El-Sibay (Munich, Germany) and junior Sarah Broderick (Haverhill, Mass.) notched third place in the 200-yard medley relay with an ECAC-A qualifying time of 1:46.60.
RESULTS AFTER DAY ONE
1. New Hampshire, 125 points
2. UMBC, 102 points
3. Vermont, 99 points
4. Maine, 86 points
5. Binghamton, 61 points
Vermont
Maggie Preston won the 1-meter dive on Thursday night for the Catamounts during Day 1 of the 2016 America East Swimming & Diving Championships at WPI's Sports & Recreation Center. Vermont sits third overall in the competition with 99 points. New Hampshire (125) has the lead with UMBC (102) in second.
Preston earned a score of 248.90 to win the 1-meter competition for her second individual diving title in as many years, the only two in program history.
The senior was the champion of the 3-meter event at last year's conference championships and was named the meet's Most Outstanding Diver.
UVM finished second overall in the 200-yard medley relay as Courtney Gray, Shannon Cowley, Audrey Shenkin, and Christa Weaver posted a time of 1:43.48. Gray registered a pool record to lead off the event, finishing the 50 backstroke in 25.63 seconds.
UMBC broke the conference and meet record with a time of 1:41.26 to win the event.
The Catamounts also took third place in the 800 free relay, posting a time of 7:27.49 with the team of Kelly Lennon, Sarah Mantz, Shenkin, and Dani Rocheleau.
