02/22/2009
Women's Swim & Dive Earn Highest Finish at NEWMAC Championships

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 2/22/09 - Clark University set a combined 10 new school records [ View Complete Record Board ] and captured its highest finish since joining the league by claiming fifth place at the 2009 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Womens Swim and Dive Championships held at MIT.

"This year's senior class finished in last place their first-year," said head coach Paul E. Phillips. So, to finish in fifth this year is definitely a testament to their hard-work over the course of their careers. The seniors, combined with some of the younger talent, were definitely a huge part of this year's success. Everyone was a joy to work with."

The Cougar relay teams continued its tear this weekend, when the 400-yard freestyle team of Erin Smith, Liz Rosen, Lindsey Stone and Dana Akerfelds, whose anchor split was remarkable, took sixth with a new school record time of 3:43.24. They smashed the previous record (3:47.60) set in 1995-96 by more than four seconds. It marked the fourth Clark relay record broken over the weekend.

Senior Kayleigh Lagasse capped her career in fine fashion, by setting a new Clark mark in the 200-yard butterfly. The team's tri-captain placed fifth in a time of 2:15.15, breaking her previous record of 2:17.89 set earlier this season. Lagasse also moved up to third on Clark's all-time top-five list in the 100-fly (13th/1:01.53) on Saturday.

Breaking yet another record on the diving boards, first-year Eileen Garcia set a school standard in the 3-meter event with 439.45 points. Clark Hall of Famer Beth Ferraro '88 held the previous mark of 4:14.65.

Akerfelds just missed a new school record in the 200-yard backstroke with her seventh place, 2:13.85 time, but hit a new mark in the 50-yard backstroke split (28.07) en route to her 100-back finish yesterday. Senior Jess Cullen placed 14th place in the finals of the 200-back (2:20.85), but swam to fourth on Clark's all-time list with a time of 2:19.95 in the preliminaries. Rosen placed seventh in her respective event, the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 18:11.24.

Smith completed her first-year campaign in fine fashion with a 13th place finish in the 100-yard free (55.33), jumping into third on the University's all-time top-five list.

Springfield College raced to its ninth consecutive NEWMAC Championships.

Team Standings

1. Springfield 827.5

2. MIT 660

3. Wheaton 640.5

4. Coast Guard 461

5. Clark 281

5. Wellesley 259

7. Babson 207

8. WPI 202.5

9. Smith 175.5

10. MHC 88

Clark Records

200-yard freestyle relay  6th/1:42.64 (Smith, Akerfelds, Stewart, Stone)

1-Meter (11 dives) - Garcia (3rd/442.60)

400-yard medley relay  7th/4:13.61 (Akerfelds, Stone, Lagasse, Smith)

800-yard freestyle relay  6th/8:10.99 (Rosen, Wigley, Smith, Akerfelds)

200-yd freestyle  Smith (9th/1:59.28)

100-yard backstroke  Akerfelds (7th/1:00.93)

400-yard freestyle relay  6th/3:43.24 (Smith, Rosen, Stone, Akerfelds)

200-butterfly  Lagasse (5th/2:15.15)

3-Meter (11 dives)  Garcia (4th/439.45)

View Complete Record Board