Men’s Swimming Finishes Second, Women’s Swimming Places Third at 2012 GNAC Championship
BOSTON, Mass. – Elms College junior Devon DeGrazia (Westport, Mass.) notched a Simmons College pool record and a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) record in the 1650-yard freestyle to help pace the Blazers women's team to a third place finish, and the men's team earned second place honors following Sunday's action at the 2012 GNAC Championship hosted by Simmons.
Norwich University totaled 242 points to win the men's invitational, followed by Elms with 216 points, Regis College with 203 and Saint Joseph's College (Maine) with 156 points.
Host Simmons won the women's championship with 313 points, followed by Regis (209.5), Elms (146), Saint Joseph's College (Maine) (70.5), Husson University (59), University of St. Joseph (Conn.) (52), and Norwich with 30.
On the men's side, freshman Ethan Etheridge (Pawtucket, R.I.) set a new school record and a GNAC record in the 50-yard breaststroke with a winning time of 28:01 and added a second place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:27.13).
Freshman Stephen Lynch (Madison, Conn.) touched the wall second in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 58.30, and clocked a winning time of 2:11.22 to win the 200-yard butterfly and establish a new GNAC record.
Senior Mark Gehring (West Springfield, Mass.) and freshman James Grippo (Longmeadow, Mass.) finished second and third in the 1650-yard freestyle with respective times of 18:38.53 and 19:00.63. Grippo placed second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:56.33), while junior Keegan Goan (Westbrook, Maine) tabbed third place honors in the 200-yard butterfly (2:14.01).
The 200-yard medley relay team of Lynch, Etheridge, Goan and Aaron Starke (Chicopee, Mass.) set a new school record (1:40.60).
For the women, DeGrazia set a new pool and GNAC record in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 18:56.14, and added a third place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 57.08.
Senior Tessa Dudunake (Northampton, Mass.) placed second in the 50-yard breaststroke in a time of 33.10 and glided to a third place mark in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:43.74.
Senior Emalee Furtek (Ludlow, Mass.) added third place honors in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:46.40, and senior Chalis Bird (Windsor, Mass.) clocked a time of 32.28 to finish in fifth place in the 50-yard backstroke.
The Blazers' 200-yard medley relay squad of DeGrazia, Dudunake, Furtek and Bird placed second in the race with a time of 2:00.15.
Both teams return to action on Saturday, December 8 when they host UMass-Dartmouth at Partyka Natatorium starting at 11:00 a.m.
