Men's Swimming & Diving 2/16/2014 12:00:00 AM

Women's swimming & diving claims fourth at NEISDAs for second straight year

SOUTH KINGSTON, R.I. - The Saint Michael's College women's swimming & diving team placed fourth at the season-ending New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association (NEISDA) Championship for the second straight year when the three-day meet came to an end on Sunday at the University of Rhode Island's Tootell Aquatic Center. The men took seventh, finishing among the top seven for the ninth straight year.

The Purple Knight women claimed fourth out of 20 schools behind 888 points, just 20 short of third-place Simmons College, while finishing among the top five at the NEISDA meet during consecutive seasons for the first time since 2003-04 and 2004-05. With 291 points, the men were seventh out of 12 but were just 13 points shy of sixth-place Gordon College. Both teams recorded their high placements despite no divers qualifying for the meet. Perennial power Keene State College won both the men's (1,121) and women's (1,664.5) competitions.

Three swimmers broke school records during the final day of the meet, including a pair of women in senior Julie Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) and first-year Lindsay McNall (Colchester, Vt./Colchester). In the evening finals, McNall claimed third place in the 200-yard butterfly in 2:14.56, cutting 0.07 seconds off of a record she set on Nov. 16. During the 200-yard breaststroke trials, Mullowney lowered her own week-old mark by 1.87 seconds, clocking in at 2:30.08. She ultimately placed fifth in the finals at 2:31.32.

Senior Grace Kahn (Fairhope, Ala./Bayside Academy) capped her career by placing third in the 50-yard backstroke in 28.62, followed by junior Steph Nadow (Charlton, Mass./Saint Peter-Marian) in sixth at 28.68. Sophomore Luci Franklin (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Lowell Whiteman School) claimed 10th. The Purple Knights' 400-yard freestyle relay quartet of Franklin, McNall, junior Kim Brady (Morris Township, N.J./Academy of Saint Elizabeth) and first-year Katrina Wiesner (Bow, N.H./Bow) took fourth in 3:45.90.

First-year Lauren Wheaton (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) won the "B" final during the 200 breast in 2:35.13, nabbing ninth overall in the event, while senior Jill Connors (Dedham, Mass./Archbishop Williams) was 12th. Wiesner and Brady were 10th and 16th, respectively, in the 100 free, and sophomore Catherine Tierney (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) touched the wall in 19:37.52 during the 1,650 free to take 13th. The 200-yard butterfly saw senior Maddie Craig (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) place 13th in 2:28.51, sophomore Zoe Doucette (Ashland, Mass./Ashland) finish 16th, and senior Emily Dieter (Saint Charles, Ill./Saint Charles North) take 19th.

McNall is the only Purple Knight whose season might continue beyond this weekend. After recording a provisional cut in the 200-yard backstroke for the March 12-15 NCAA Championship at last weekend's Northeast-10 Conference Championship, she awaits word about whether she has qualified. Prior to the NEISDA Championship, when many Division II conferences had yet to hold their championships, McNall was 24th nationally in the event.

During the men's portion of the meet, junior Nathan Paluso (Windham, Maine/Windham) clipped his own two-year-old 200 breast school record by 0.04 during trials to finish in 2:18.12. In the evening finals, he was eighth in the event, at 2:18.32, and sophomore Nick Johns (Seaford, N.Y./Saint Anthony's) claimed 10th. Paluso sided with sophomores Brandon MacPherson (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and Joe Thomas (Norwood, Mass./Boston College HS) and first-year Ryan Butler (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) to place sixth during the 400 free relay at 3:23.81.

First-year Cam Thirkell (Tyngsboro, Mass./Tyngsboro) notched an eighth-place performance in the 200 fly, touching the wall in 2:06.73, while senior Jack Mulderrig (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) and first-year Sean Glasheen (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) were 11th and 15th, respectively. First-year Riley Faszewski (Hooksett, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) took eighth in the 1,650 free in 18:58.73, and classmate Seth Boudreau (Saint Albans, Vt./BFA-Saint Albans) won the "B" final in the 50 back at 27.07, taking ninth overall in the event. MacPherson missed qualifying for the 100 free "B" race by 0.11 seconds during morning trials.