SWIMMING TEAMS MAKE PROGRAM HISTORY ON FINAL DAY OF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Regis College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams wrapped up successful campaigns at the final day of the 2015-16 New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving (NEISDA Championships on the campus of the University of Rhode Island.
KINGSTON, R.I. – The Regis College men's and women's swimming and diving teams wrapped up successful campaigns at the final day of the 2015-16 New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving (NEISDA Championships on the campus of the University of Rhode Island.
The Pride men, who finished their campaign with their second straight undefeated dual meet season in a row, placed fourth overall with 389 total points. Their fourth place finish was the highest in program history.
The Pride women didn't disappoint either. They wrapped up the championships with an eighth place showing, which was their first top ten finish since the 1995 season and their highest ranking since their ninth place finish during the 1988 campaign with 455.5 points.
On the men's side, senior captain Cassidy Bastianelli (Newton, Mass.) was third in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.75. Nick Rainville (Reading, Mass.) finished behind his teammate in the 100 freestyle with a time of 48.15. Kiet Luong (Malden, Mass.) placed fourth in the 200 fly with a time of 1:58.98. Junior Bryan Johnson (Sudbury, Mass.) set the program record during the preliminary stage in the 200 breast with a time of 2:15.79, but then broke his own school record in the finals completing the race in 2:13.87, good enough for fourth place. The 400 freestyle relay squad of Luong, Rainville, Johnson and Bastianelli finished fourth in the race. Sophomore Michael Bruno (Winthrop, Mass.) placed sixth in the 1650 freestyle relay with a time of 17:54.54. Senior Mike Panagiotakos (Methuen, Mass.) improved his time in the 100 medley relay by 0:00.34 with a finishing time of 1:02.51.
For the women, freshman Amanda Graf (Newton, Mass.) had the highest finish of any Pride women swimmer as she completed the 50 yard back in 28.45. The 400 freestyle relay squad of Jessica Higgins (Peabody, Mass.), Ashlyn Deroche (North Reading, Mass.), Katherine Mariano (Newton, Mass.) and Graf placed fifth in the event. Freshman Molly Belles (Scranton, Pa.), took home eighth place in the 50 yard backstroke with a time of 29.71. Higgins placed ninth in the 100 free with a time of 55.90. Senior Amanda Iandoli (Mansfield, Mass.), bested her preliminary time of 2:35.55 in the 200 yard fly by five seconds as she completed the race in the finals with a time of 2:30.64. Deroche placed 15th in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 58.18.