Swimming Finds Success at GNAC Championships
Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)
BOSTON, Mass. – The Elms College men's and women's swimming teams wrapped up weekend action at the 2015 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Invitational and Women's Championships at the Holmes Sports Center Natatorium on the campus of Simmons College Sunday afternoon. The men's squad finished third on the team leaderboard, while the women's team claimed sixth.
The Blazers men's team registered 131 points during the Invitational. Junior Ryan Burgos (Plaistow, N.H.) posted a pair of first-place finishes, winning the 1650 yard freestyle in a GNAC record time of 17:35.01 and the 500 yard freestyle (5:04.89), while adding a fourth-place finish in the 200 yard freestyle (1:55.18). Burgos totaled 27 points to finish tied for fifth overall individually while earning All-Invitational Team honors. Junior Nick Cirillo (Gloversville, N.Y.) took second in the 200 yard freestyle (1:54.03) and third in the 500 yard freestyle (5:13.55), while senior Misha Kuyuzov (Swampscott, Mass.) claimed third in the 200 yard breaststroke in a time of 2:30.38. In the 400 yard medley relay, the team of Burgos, Kuyuzov, senior James Grippo (Longmeadow, Mass.) and Cirillo placed second with a time of 3:59.47.
The Blazers women's team collected 351 points during the Championship. The relay team of sophomore Ashlee Connors (Springfield, Mass.), freshman Kayla Gurney (Wilbraham, Mass.), senior Kim Panetta (Belchertown, Mass.) and freshman Desi Milar (Springfield, Mass.) raced to a third-place finish in the 200 yard medley relay (2:06.76), and a fourth-place finish in the 400 yard medley relay (4:47.82). Connors checked in at fourth in the 50 yard backstroke (31.42), while Panetta took fifth in the 50 yard butterfly with a 32.10 mark.
The Blazers will return to action after the holiday break with a home meet against Bridgewater State at Partyka Natatorium on Wednesday, January 6th at 4:00 p.m.
ELMS SWIMMING
