PRIDE MEN IN 8TH, WOMEN IN 12TH AFTER DAY 2 OF NEISDA CHAMPIONSHIPS

PRIDE MEN IN 8TH, WOMEN IN 12TH AFTER DAY 2 OF NEISDA CHAMPIONSHIPS

KINGSTON, R.I. - After Day Two of the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships, the Regis College men's and women's swimming & diving teams currently sit in 8th place and 12th place, respectively. The men have picked up 180 points thus far, while the women have 232 points.

Junior Alex Graf (Newton, Mass.) had a great day in the pool for the Pride, as he was a part of two relays that took third and fourth place finishes, and even finished third individually in the 50 yard Fly (24.07). Freshman Cassidy Bastinelli (Newton, Mass.), who was also a member of the relays, was able to crack the top ten in the 50 Fly as well, as the rookie swam to an impressive time of 25.07.

Graf, Bastinelli, Kiet Luong (Malden, Mass.), and Sean O'Brien (Westerly, R.I.) took home a fourth place finish in the 200 yard Medley Relay. The unit completed the event in 1:39.53, which qualified for the upcoming ECAC Championships. Luong led off the relay and set a new school record in the 50 yard Back (24.85).

Later in the day, Graf and Bastinelli teamed up with Greg Sarantakis (Lowell, Mass.) and Robert Ekberg (Northbridge, Mass.) to take third in the 800 yard Free Relay (7:30.52), which broke the previous Regis College record. Graf led off the relay in an ECAC qualifying time of 1:46.69. 

Luong re-broke his own school record in the 100 yard Back for the third time in two days. The freshman was able to shave more time off of his previous mark and take home a third place individual finish after completing the event in 53.05. He also qualified for the ECAC Championships.

Ekberg, Bastinelli, Luong, and Graf were also able to complete a time trial in the 200 yard Free Relay. Their time of 1:28.46 was fast enough to qualify for the ECACs.

Junior Shannan O'Neil (Lowell, Mass.) registered the top individual finish of the day for the Pride women. O'Neil swam the 50 yard Fly in 28.35, which solidified a seventh place position. Classmate Haley Bowen (Litchfield, N.H.) had an eighth place individual finish in the 100 yard Breast (1:10.57).

Bowen also teamed up with Stacy Burns (Waltham, Mass.), Amanda Iandoli (Mansfield, Mass.), and Megan Kennelly (Milford, Mass.) in the 800 yard Free Relay. Their relay swam the event in 8:57.22, which put them in ninth place.

The third and final day of the NEISDA Championships kick off tomorrow at 10 a.m.