Click here for full 2008 Championships Schedule
The 18th annual America East Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships will be held at the University of Maine's Aquatic Center on Thursday February 14, through Sunday February 17.
Last year UMBC dominated as the men won their fourth-straight conference title and the UMBC women won their first conference title.
The Retrievers will look to top performances from Christina Cantwell (Sinking Spring, Pa.), Daniele Surkovich (Ellicott City, Md.), and Tereza Kaplanova (Prague, Czech Republic). Cantwell currently leads the conference in the 200-breaststroke and 100-breaststroke, while Surkovich leads the 500-freestyle, 200-freestyle, and 100-freestyle and Kaplanova leads the 200-IM and is seated third in the 400-IM.
The UMBC men have had top performances in many events throughout the season. The Retrievers will look to Rasmus Kutt (Tallinn, Estonia), Scott Auchter (Wernersville, Pa.), Justin Bronson (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Matt Mattingly (Cherry Hill, N.J.), and Brad Reitz (Ellicott City, Md.) as threats in multiple swimming events.
New Hampshire women will look to recapture the title led by the 2007 Most Outstanding Female Swimmer, Kary Goodman (South Windham, Maine) along with other conference leaders, teammates Deanna Petchonka (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Amy Perrault (Kirkland Lake, Ontario).
Other top conference times include Vermont's Nicole Underhill (South Burlington, VT) in the 200-butterfly, and Kate Weaver (South Burlington, VT) in the 200-backstroke, as well as Boston's Brigette O'Shaughnessy (Carlsbad, Calif.) in the 400-IM and teammate Tess Waresmith (Dover, Mass.) in the 1- and 3-meter diving events.
On the men's side, Binghamton's Brenno Varanda (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Stony Brook's Lukasz Ochmanski (Lodz, Poland), and Boston's Andre Watson (Hempstead, N.Y.) will be performers to watch for as conference leaders in multiple swimming and diving events.
Prelims begin Thursday at 11a.m. with the women's 3-meter diving and men's 1-meter diving events. Finals for the men's and women's 800-freestyle relay, men's 1-meter diving and women's 3-meter diving, and men's and women's 200-medley relay will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Friday's prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the 500-freestyle, 200-IM, and 50-freestyle. The women's 1-meter diving prelims and finals will be held beginning at 1:45 p.m. The swimming finals will resume at 6 p.m. and will include all the prelim events as well as the 200-freestyle relay.
Saturday's prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the 400-IM, 100-butterfly, 200-freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 backstroke. The men's 3-meter prelims and finals will be held beginning at 1:45 p.m. The swimming finals will commence at 6 p.m. and will include prelims events as well as the 400-medley relay.
Sunday's prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the 200-backstroke, 100-freestyle, 200-breastroke, 200-butterfly, and 1650-freestyle. The swimming finals will be held at 5:30 p.m. and include all prelims events as well as the 400-freestyle relay and the awards ceremony to follow.
Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Maine, UMBC, University of New Hampshire (women only), Stony Brook University, and University of Vermont (women only) will all vie for the 2008 Swimming and Diving Championship.