WORCESTER, Mass. – The University of New Hampshire claimed its second-straight America East women’s swimming and diving title. UNH earned its sixth championship overall, all under the direction of Josh Wilman.
In the first day of competition, the Wildcats jumped out in front in with 107 points and never looked back. The UNH squad conquered the 2014 championship meet with 877 points, the most compiled by a women’s squad in America East history, just 19 tallies ahead of their 2013 title score of 858. The Coaching Staff of the Year recognition went to the champions.
UMBC finished the condensed three-day event as runner-up with 684 points and Vermont grabbed third at 640. Maine pulled into fourth after trailing in fifth for the first two days of the event, collecting 462, while Binghamton rounded out the scores with 440 points.
The Wildcats collected eight individual victories and won four of the five relay events to claim the crown on the final day, including two gold medals from Lauren McCandless, who earned the inaugural David Alexander Coaches Awards as the senior with the most career points in the league meet. She compiled 215 points over her four years of competition, including the 200 fly (2:00.30) and the 1650 free (16:46.64) during the championship.
The David Alexander coaches Award was presented by Moira Alexander. The award was named for the late coach of Stony Brook University, Dave Alexander, who is memorialized as always having everyone’s best interest at heart. He is remembered fondly as a coach who had a warm spirit and cared deeply about others, including his fellow coaches and swimmers, as was evident through his constant congratulating and wishing luck to all teams.
Other individual victors for the Wildcats include Oneida Cooper (500, 200 free), Jenni Roberts (100 fly), Jenna Bull (200 back) and Katie Mann (200, 400 IM).
The Retrievers’ second-place finish was driven by the Most Outstanding Swimmer and Rookie of the meet, Emily Escobedo, and the Most Outstanding Diver Corinna Darelius. Escobedo is just the second freshman to earn both awards in America East history, the last time being Katie Mann in 2012. The rookie swimmer impressed in the 100 and 200 breast events, clocking in at 1:01.58 and 2:12.11, respectively, which both met the NCAA “B” cut. Both marks also surpassed the previously standing meet and pool times; however, her 200 breast time was later surpassed by a time trial from Mann.
After winning on the boards in both the one-meter and three-meter dives, the 2014 Darelius was presented with the Diver of the Meet recognition, as she earned finals scores of 235.3 and 261.7, respectively. All five competing institutions were recognized in the medalist spots in the diving events as Kara Capossela of Maine earned second in both events, while third went to New Hampshire’s Nicole Zahka in the three-meter and Binghamton’s Bettina Hughes in the one-meter.
Mann posted three league meet marks during the meet. Her 200 IM time of 1:59.12 and time trial mark of 2:10.30 in the 200 breast not only set the conference standard, but broke the WPI pool record as well.
Other excellent performances from gold medalists include Binghamton’s Caitlin Kelly (50, 100 free) and UMBC’s Klara Pavelkova (200 back).
The Retrievers took the final gold medal relay in the 200 medley in 1:42.68.
Women’s Final Results
1. New Hampshire,877
2. UMBC, 684
3. Vermont, 640
4. Maine, 462
5. Binghamton, 440
David Alexander Coaches Award: Lauren McCandless, UNH
Most Outstanding Swimmer: Emily Escobedo, UMBC
Most Oustanding Diver: Corrina Darelius, UMBC
Most Oustanding Rookie: Emily Escobedo, UMBC
Coaching Staff of the Year: New Hampshire