SOUTH KINGSTON, R.I. - Saint Michael's College swimmers placed among the top 10 in 15 events on Saturday, including when first-year Lindsay McNall (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) won the 100-yard backstroke, during day two of the three-day New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association (NEISDA) Championship at the University of Rhode Island's Tootell Aquatic Center. Due to impending inclement weather, the meet did not hold trials on Saturday, instead only contesting timed finals.
Through day two, the Purple Knight women were fifth among 20 schools, with their 608 points leaving them within 84 of second place in a tightly-packed field, while the men are seventh out of 11, claiming 208 points to stand 53 shy of the fourth-place team. The meet concludes on Sunday with 10 a.m. trials and 5:30 p.m. finals.
McNall won the 100 back in 59.38, while junior Steph Nadow (Charlton, Mass./Saint Peter-Marian) was sixth, senior Grace Kahn (Fairhope, Ala./Bayside Academy) took seventh, and sophomore Luci Franklin (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Lowell Whiteman School) claimed 11th. Kahn, McNall and Nadow joined senior Julie Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) to take third in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:52.80.
During the 800-yard freestyle relay, McNall, Mullowney, junior Kim Brady (Morris Township, N.J./Academy of Saint Elizabeth) and sophomore Catherine Tierney (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) joined to place fourth in 8:22.22. Mullowney also led a quartet of scorers in the 100-yard breaststroke, taking fourth in 1:09.21, ahead of first-year Lauren Wheaton (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) in ninth, senior Jill Connors (Dedham, Mass./Archbishop Williams) in 12th and first-year Cymantha Rogers (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott) in 19th.
Tierney placed ninth in the 1,000 free in 1:37.68, senior Maddie Craig (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) was 13th during the 400-yard individual medley in 5:08.26, and sophomore Zoe Doucette (Ashland, Mass./Ashland) claimed 13th in the 50-yard butterfly in 29.49. Brady rounded out the women's scorers by taking 18th in the 200 free in 2:08.28.
Sophomore Joe Thomas (Norwood, Mass./Boston College HS) had a hand in three top-10 finishes for the men, including joining junior Nathan Paluso (Windham, Maine/Windham), sophomore Brandon MacPherson (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and first-year Cam Thirkell (Tyngsboro, Mass./Tyngsboro) to take fifth in the 800 free relay in 7:34.72. Thomas was eighth in the 200 free at 1:50.81, with MacPherson taking 14th. During the 50 fly, Thomas was ninth in 24.95, and Thirkell nabbed 14th.
MacPherson, Paluso and Thirkell sided with first-year Seth Boudreau (Saint Albans, Vt./BFA-Saint Albans) to place ninth in the 200 medley relay at 1:44.53, while Boudreau was 10th in the 100 back in 57.75. During the 400 IM, senior Jack Mulderrig (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) was 10th in 4:40.77, followed by sophomore Chad Phalon (Wantage, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) in 12th. Paluso notched a 10th-place showing in the 100 breast at 1:03.70, with sophomore Nick Johns (Seaford, N.Y./Saint Anthony's) in 16th. Phalon placed 11th in the 1,000 free in 11:16.52, while first-year Riley Faszewski (Hooksett, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) was 13th.
