WOMEN'S SWIM AND DIVE PLACE SEVENTH AT NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Clark University women’s swim and dive team are “moving on up.” The Cougars posted its highest finish (7th) since the 2001-02 season at this year’s New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship meet held at Wellesley College this past weekend.
After placing 10th (125 points) at last year’s NEWMAC’s, the Cougars upped their point total by 62 points finishing with 187. Additionally, the women’s squad finished with a pair of new school marks, 71 season-best performances and 41 career records.
“I am extremely pleased with our overall results this weekend,” said head coach Paul E. Phillips. “We moved up three spots in the conference and were within striking distance of sixth place. We have shown steady improvement over the past three years and are now at a legitimately competitive level within the conference.”
On day three of competition, first-year Dana Akerfelds (Bronxville, N.Y.) set a new school mark in the preliminary heat of the 200-yard backstroke (2:13.72), and finished sixth with a time of 2:15.25 in the finals. Teammate Jessica Cullen (Milford, Conn.) was 13th (2:20.89) in the event. Junior Jessica Moise, who made the finals for the first time in her career, placed 16th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a career-best time of 2:43.31.
Junior Caitlin Hanson (Reading, Mass.), sophomore Kayleigh Lagasse (Pawtucket, R.I.), sophomore Lindsey Stone (Avon, Conn.) and Akerfelds raced to a seventh place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:53.00).
All three divers posted career-best point totals on the 3-meter board. Sophomore Jessica Baker’s (Queensbury, N.Y.) 14th place finish (317.10) moved her to third on Clark’s all-time list, while second-year Lauren Gesner (Kensington, Cali.) took 17th (279.55) for fifth all-time. First-year Hannah Perlmutter (Shutesbury, Mass.) was 20th with 241.60 total points.
A trio of senior swimmers, including Mackenzie Kamm (Bellaire, Tx.), Danielle Petroni (El Cerrito, Cali.) and Abby Crowley (Burlington, Conn.) posted lifetime bests in their respective individual races, while the rest of the seniors had season-best results in all of their events.
"Our team is still young with most of our point scorers and relay swimmers being first-years and sophomores,” said Phillips. “But, I was very proud to see our seniors swimming at their highest level in their last collegiate competition.”
Overall Championship Results
Six Individual Point Scorers
Dana Akerfelds - 500 free (10th) - fastest since 1982, 100 back (6th), 200 back (6th)
Kayleigh Lagasse - 500 free (14th), 200 fly (11th)
Jess Moise - 100 breast (15th), 200 breast (15th) first-time point scorer
Jess Cullen - 100 back (11th), 200 back (13th)
Lindsey Stone - 50 free (16th) first-time point scorer
Jess Baker - 1-Mtr (15th), 3-Mtr (14th) first-time point scorer
Relays
200 Free Relay (6th) - highest relay finish in three years, fastest time since 1997, 4th all-time
200 Medley Relay - posted fastest time since 1997, 3rd all-time
Top Five Results
Akerfelds - 500 Free 2nd all-time (fastest time for Clark since 1982), 100 back 2nd - .01 off school record, 200 back school record, 50 back school record
Corri Stewart - 50 back (5th place all-time) on 200 medley prelims “b” relay.
Lindsey Stone - 50 free (prelims) 5th place all-time
Jess Baker - 1-Mtr 3rd all-time, 3-Mtr 3rd all-time
Lauren Gesner - 3-Mtr 5th all-time
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MEN'S SWIM AND DIVE CONCLUDE NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIP
The Clark University men’s swim and dive team finished sixth for the second consecutive year, but increased their point total by 13 points with 272, on the final day of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship Meet held at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., on Sunday.
Clark finished just 26 points behind fifth place Babson College (298). Coast Guard Academy successfully defended its NEWMAC title to capture its fifth league crown with 990.5 points.
Sophomore Drew Jackson (Chestertown, Md.) broke a seven-year record with a fifth place finish in the 200-yard backstroke (1:58.66). Doug Shea ’00, the former NEWMAC Champion in the event, held the previous mark of 1:59.51. Jackson set a new mark in the 100-yard backstroke (55.28) on Saturday. Teammates Josh Chartier (Monson, Mass.) and Timmy French (Copell, Tx.) placed 13th and 14th in the event, respectively. Chartier’s 2:05.36 time was good for Clark’s fourth all-time, while French’s 2:05.54 finish secured fifth all-time in the record books.
Sophomore Brian Walsh (Wenham, Mass.) was 10th in the 1,650 yard freestyle with a third all-time fastest 17:19.58. He also earned all-time accolades in his 1,000-yard split. Sophomore Mike Smith (Milford, Conn.) took 10th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:17.62.
In diving events, Dave Carnevale (Boxford, Mass.) placed ninth on the 3-meter board with 263.80 points.
The relay teams continued to have strong performances with the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Jackson, Walsh, Taylor Morono (New London, N.H.) and Smith placing fifth (3:21.72).
Overall Championship Results
Individual Performances
Drew Jackson - 200-yard IM (10th); 100-yard backstroke (10th/broken record); 200-yard backstroke (5th/broken record)
Timmy French - 100-yard backstroke (12th); 200-backstroke (14th/5th all-time)
Josh Chartier - 200-yard backstroke (13th/4th all-time)
Tim O'Keefe - 400-yard IM (11th)
Brian Walsh - 1,650-yard freestyle (10th/3rd all-time)
Mike Smith - 200-yard breaststroke (10th)
Dave Carnevale - 1-meter board (12th); 3-meter board (9th)
Top Relay Finishes
200-yard freestyle relay (Morono, Walsh, Smith, Jackson) - 7th
400-yard medley relay (Chartier, Penney, Jayakody, Auger) - 7th
800-yard freestyle relay (Jackson, Walsh, Morono, Smith) - 5th/2nd all-time
200-yard medley relay (French, Smith, Jackson, Morono) - 7th
400-yard freestyle relay (Jackson, Walsh, Morono, Smith) - 5th
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TWO BASKETBALL PLAYERS EARN NEWMAC HONORS
Two Clark University basketball players were named to New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference teams, it was announced on Tuesday. Sarah Roderigue earned women’s basketball second-team All-Conference honors, while Mark Alexander was a men’s basketball second-team All-Star.
Roderigue, originally from Oakland, Me., led the Cougars in scoring with 14.5 points per game and defensively with 67 steals, along with a second-best rebounding average (5.7). Starting in 24 of 25 games, she was the team’s top scorer in 15 contests – including a career-high 32 point effort in a win against Wellesley College. The sophomore forward ranked in five NEWMAC statistical categories including, third in steals (2.8), fifth in scoring (14.5), seventh in assists (3.5) and 3-point field goal percentage (.291), and ninth in 3-point field goals per game (1.4). This is her first appearance on the All-Conference squad.
A native of Providence, R.I., Alexander topped Clark in scoring and finished eighth in the league with 13.5 ppg. The first-year forward notched 18 double-digit games, including an eight-game stretch in double figures and five 20-point contests. Alexander tallied a career-high 25 points in a victory over eventual NEWMAC Champion Coast Guard Academy earlier this season. He received numerous honors this winter, earning Worcester Area Basketball Coaches Association Rookie of the Week accolades twice and NYU All-Tournament Team recognition.
The Clark women’s squad finished the year with a 12-13 (8-5 NEWMAC mark), while the Cougar men’s team concluded the season at 11-14 overall and 5-7 in conference play.
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SPRING TEAMS HEAD INTO SPRING BREAK
The Clark University spring athletic teams will head south for Spring Break training next week. The Cougar baseball team will begin spring competition in Port Charlotte, Fla., while softball will play in Cape Coral. The men's and women's rowing program will return to the Sunshine State after a year hiatus for a week-long training trip, and men's tennis will play three matches in Orlando.
The men's lacrosse team will stay north and travel to Hamilton, N.Y, where they will practice for two days and conclude the trip with a game against Cazenovia College.
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The highlights for this newsletter are provided by
Dalya Qualls, Sports Information Director, 508-793-7164
Email: dqualls@clarku.edu
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WOMEN'S SWIM AND DIVE PLACE SEVENTH AT NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
