Women’s Swimming Finishes Fifth at GNAC Championship

BOSTON, Mass. – The Elms College women's swimming places fifth overall with 78 points following day two action of the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship hosted by Simmons College in Boston, Mass.

Host Simmons won the championship with 422 total points, while Regis College finished second with 126 points. University of St. Joseph (Conn.) finished third with 110 points, followed by Husson University (82), Elms (78), Saint Joseph's College (Maine) (68) and Norwich University (3).

Blazers' senior Devon DeGrazia (Westport, Mass.) knifed through the water in a time of 11:14.56 in the 10000-yard freestyle to break her own GNAC record in the event. DeGrazia also placed third in the 100-yard freestyle (56.33).

Freshman Kelly O'Connell (Monson, Mass.) earned seventh place honors in the 1000-yard freestyle (13:47.59) and eighth place in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 3:23.02.

Seniors Jillian Francis (Methuen, Mass.) and Stephanie Konstantinidis (Holyoke, Mass.) placed 10^th and 12^th respectively in the 1000-yard freestyle with time of 15:21.82 and 15:50.05.

Freshman Abbey Will (Hopkinton, Mass.) placed eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (1:00.57) and eighth in the 100-yard individual medley (1:11.92).

The 400-yard freestyle relay team of freshman Sarah Swart (Willington, Conn.), freshman Maddie Heelon (Agawam, Mass.), senior Kelly Gilhooly (Bloomfield, Conn.) and Francis clocked a time of 4:40.07 to finish fifth overall.

The 200-yard medley relay combination of DeGrazia, senior Gabrielle Calvanese (Agawam, Mass.), Will and freshman Brianna Sylvester (Springfield, Mass.) added a fifth place finish with a time of 2:07.35

Elms returns to action on Wednesday, January 8 when it hosts Bridgewater State University at 4:00 p.m. at Partyka Natatorium.