For Immediate Release: February 19, 2009
Contact: Ian Milne (sports1@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Swimming and Diving has strong opening day at the America East Conference Championship

BOSTON, Mass. -- The men's swimming and diving 200 medley relay team highlighted the Bearcats efforts on day one of the America East Conference Championships at the BU Aquatic Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Freshman Joe Perez-Rogers, senior Andrew Palumbo, junior Philip Dzieniszewski and senior Joe Rogan led the relay team to a second place finish with a time of 1:30.72.

In the 800 free relay, seniors Brenno Varanda, Brian Koralewski, Sean Lorenz and sophomore Jason Chen raced to a third place finish with a time of 6:43.64 to break the old school record by over three seconds.

In the 200 medley relay sophmores Lyndsi Worthington, Brittany Detlef, Amanda Ciccone and junior Allyce Brand teamed up for a fifth place finish with a time of 1:47.73. They finished one-tenth of a second ahead of Stony Brook who had taken first and second place in this event when the Bearcats had clashed with the Seawolves in a dual meet ealier this year. Also for the women, freshmen Tricia Alejandro and Maria Mazzoni along with seniors Jodi Brown and Heather Jennings helped lead Binghamton to a sixth place finish in the 800 free with a time of 7:50.10.

On the one-meter boards, the Bearcats posted two finalists. Freshman Nick Turner placed fourth with a score of 260.55 and senior Ryan Graham came in right behind in fifth place with a score of 245.85.

"Some pretty nifty swimming going on so far," head coach Sean Clark quipped. "It's a really great start to our championship effort."

The action commences tomorrow with Friday's prelim session starting at 10 a.m.