HIGGINS NAMED GNAC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Regis College freshman Jessica Higgins (Peabody, Mass.) has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday morning by the league offices. Senior Haley Bowen (Litchfield, N.H.) was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team as well.
WESTON, Mass. – Regis College freshman Jessica Higgins (Peabody, Mass.) has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday morning by the league offices. Senior Haley Bowen (Litchfield, N.H.) was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team as well.
Jessica Higgins had a strong freshman campaign for the Pride, competing in various events during her breakthrough year. Higgins swam during the GNAC Championships and finished second in the 200 yard freestyle, first in the 100 yard backstroke and broke the GNAC record with a first place finish in the 200 yard backstroke. During the New England Championships, she placed sixth in the 200 yard backstroke, 10th in the 100 yard backstroke and also seventh in the 800 yard freestyle relay.
Higgins also qualified for the ECAC's by finishing sixth in the 200 yard medley relay, fifth in the 400 yard medley relay while breaking the school record, and she broke Regis record as well as the Simmons pool record during the 200 yard backstroke event.
During the ECAC Championships, Higgins finished 12th in the 200 yard medley relay and eighth in the 400 yard medley relay, while swimming in the 100 yard backstroke and 200 yard backstroke events as well.
Haley Bowen wrapped up her Regis career with a successful senior season swimming for the Pride. During the GNAC Championships, she finished first in the 200 yard individual medley and also broke various school records. During the 100 yard breaststroke she finished the race in second place while shattering the school record. In the 50 yard breaststroke she placed second and broke the school record. Rounding out her performance at the GNAC Championships was a first place finish in the 200 yard breaststroke, which Bowen set a new school and GNAC record in the race.
Bowen also swam during the New England Championships and qualified for the ECAC Championships, breaking the school records in the 200 yard individual medley (fourth place), 100 yard breaststroke (ninth place), 200 yard medley relay (sixth place), 400 yard medley relay (fifth place) and finished seventh in the 800 freestyle relay.
During the ECAC Championships Bowen competed in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke and set a school record during the 200 yard race. She also swam in the 200 yard individual medley, the 200 yard medley relay (12th place) and finished eighth in the 400 yard medley relay.
This marks Bowen's second appearance on the All-Sportsmanship Team after being selected in 2013, and is the third-straight season a member of the Pride has been nominated after Amanda Iandoli's (Mansfield, Mass.) selection in 2014.