Hyde Breaks 200 Breast NCAA D3 Record on Day 3 of NESCAC Championships

New England Small College Athletic Conference –Women

• Dates: Friday, February 12 – Sunday, February 14; prelims 10 AM, finals 6 PM (5:30 on Sunday)
• Location: Middlebury Natatorium, Middlebury, VT (Eastern Time)
• Defending Champions: Williams (results)
• Live Results: Available
• Live Video: Available
• Championship Central

2015 runner-up Megan Pierce of Williams moved to the top of the podium this year in the 1650 free, and she set a pool record along the way. Pierce finished first in 16:41.90, 17 seconds ahead of teammate Allison McNamara (16:58.52). Connecticut’s Valerie Urban took third with 17:04.13.

Katherine Bennett, another 2015 runner-up, was the winner this year in the 200 back. She knocked down both the meet record, which was set by her Williams teammate Olivia Jackson last year, and the pool record with 1:57.70. Jackson was second this year, touching in 2:00.11. A third Eph, Katherine Priest, rounded out the podium in 2:01.42.

Emma Waddell of Williams made it two years in a row for the 100 free; she won this year with 50.35. Sam Pierce of Connecticut eked out a second-place touch over Williams’ Lauren Jones, 50.93 to 50.99.

Amherst’s Emily Hyde made it a clean sweep of the 200 breast, winning her fourth title in as many years. She smashed the meet, and pool records with a commanding win in the 200 breast, going 2:12.22. She also broke the NESCAC and NCAA Division III mark, previously set in 2006 with 2:12.83. Amanda Gottschalk of Tufts battled Maria Rawding of Bowdoin for runner-up; Gottschalk came to the wall in 2:19.05, while Rawding touched in 2:19.76.

Pierce notched her second win of the night with a 2:02.07 finish in the 200 fly. Colleen Doolan of Tufts earned the silver with 2:03.77, ahead of Lindsey Prelgovisk of Bates, who went 2:04.70 for third.

Ari Ross, who had won the 1-meter board, doubled with a victory in the 3-meter diving event; the Eph junior scored 485.40 points. Bowdoin teammates Rebecca Stern (428.25) and Christine Andersen (406.80) took second and third, respectively.

Williams ended the meet with a win in the 400 free relay behind Jones (51.88), Maddie Downs (52.66), Faye Sultan (51.64), and Waddell (50.17), who combined for a pool record-breaking time of 3:26.35. Bowdoin (3:27.95) came in second, just ahead of Bates (3:28.22).

Final Scores

Women

1. Williams College 2045
2. Amherst College 1343
3. Bates College 1317.5
4. Middlebury 1090.5
5. Connecticut College 1013
6. Bowdoin College 959
7. Tufts University 720
8. Wesleyan University 543
9. Hamilton College 470
10. Colby College 402
11. Trinity College 239