Women’s Swimming Places Fourth on Day One of GNAC Championship

BOSTON, Mass. – Elms College senior Devon DeGrazia (Westport, Mass.) won the 500-yard freestyle and placed second in the 200-yard freestyle as the Blazers finished fourth place overall on day one of the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship hosted by Simmons College in Boston, Mass.

Simmons currently leads the field of six teams with 198 points, followed by the University of St. Joseph (Conn.) with 64 points, Regis College with 53 points, Elms with 42 points, Husson University with 38 points and Saint Joseph's College (Maine) with 37 points.

DeGrazia clocked a winning time of 5:29.37 in the 500-yard freestyle and raced to a second place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:59.70.

Freshman Abigail Will (Hopkinton, Mass.) added third place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly (1:09.28) and the 50-yard butterfly with a mark of 30.27.

The 400-yard medley relay squad of DeGrazia, senior Gabrielle Calvanese (Agawam, Mass.), Will and freshman Sarah Swart (Willington, Conn.) tabbed fourth place honors (4:45.19).

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of junior Erika Aponte (Palmer, Mass.), senior Kelly Gilhooly (Bloomfield, Conn.), freshman Madeline Heelon (Agawam, Mass.) and freshman Brianna Sylvester (Springfield, Mass.) clocked a time of 2:01.03 to finish sixth in the race.

The Blazers resume GNAC Invitational action on Sunday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m. with finals set for 5:00 p.m.