Men’s Swimming Completes Day One Action of 2013-14 NEISDA Championships

SOUTH KINGSTON, R.I. – The Elms College men's swim team completed day on action at the 2013-14 New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championship on Friday, February 14 at the University of Rhode Island.

After day one, Elms is tied for fourth out of 11 teams with 128 points.

Friday Preliminaries Highlights

In the preliminaries, senior Aaron Starke (Chicopee, Mass.) set a new personal best in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.48 and qualified for his first-ever individual NEISDA final.

Freshman Nicklaus Cirillo (Gloversville, N.Y.) set a new personal best in the 500-yard freestyle (4:57.00), while the 200-yard freestyle squad of sophomore Ethan Etheridge (Pawtucket, R.I.), senior Keegan Goan (Westbrook, Maine), Cirillo and Starke notched a new school record time of 1:30.12 in the event.

Friday Finals Highlights

In the finals, the tandem of Etheridge, Goan, Cirillo and Starke lowered their school record time to 1:30.10 in the 200-yard freestyle relay and placed third in the event.

The 400-yard relay squad of sophomore James Grippo (Longmeadow, Mass.), Etheridge, Goan and Starke placed fourth in the race with a time of 3:43.47.

Etheridge powered to third place in the 50-yard breaststroke with a school record time of 27.15, Cirillo glided to a sixth place time of 4:53.75 in the 500-yard freestyle, Goan clocked a new school record and seventh place time of 54.31 in the 100-yard butterfly and Starke notched a seventh place mark in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.53. Grippo also clocked a time of 2:05.99 to place sixth in the 200-yard backstroke.

Cirillo's mark of 4:53.75 in the 500-yard freestyle broke the Blazers' school record of 4:55.94 set by Chris Papsin in 2005.

The Blazers will continue action at the NEISDA Championship on Saturday, February 15 with preliminaries beginning at 9:00 a.m.