Bowdoin Hosts Three-Day Event Beginning on Friday

HADLEY, Mass. - Williams College, the five-time defending NESCAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Champion, eyes a potential sixth championship when the Ephs along with the remainder of the NESCAC converge on Brunswick, Maine this weekend for the 2006 NESCAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship. The three-day event begins on Friday, February 17 at the Leroy Greason Pool on the campus of Bowdoin College.

It will be the final championship for Eph senior Lindsay Payne (Charlotte, N.C.), a two-time Swimmer of the Meet at the NESCAC Championship (2003, 2005). Payne broke championships record in the 50, 100 and 200-yard breaststroke during last year’s meet, after setting the record in 2003 in each of those events. Payne, who not only holds the national record in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke but also currently holds the best time across the nation this season for those events, will have plenty of competition this weekend. Colby’s tandem of junior Anne Muir (Springfield, Va.) and sophomore Kelly Norsworthy (West Hartford, Conn.), Middlebury rookie Catherine Suppan (Burlington, Vt.), and Wesleyan sophomore Amanda Shapiro (Miller Place, N.Y.) could pose a challenge to Payne’s reign, as each rank among the top swimmers in the nation in the breaststroke.

After finishing in second place at last year’s championship, Amherst brings a youthful squad to this year’s meet. Rookie Meaghan Stern (Albuquerque, N.M.) has performed exceptionally well in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle this season for the Jeffs, ranking among the top five nationally in the 100. Stern will be accompanied by classmate Mary Marvel (Williamsburg, Mass.) in an effort to overcome Payne, who also excells in the 50, 100 and 200 free. Amherst sophomore Brittany Sasser (Belmont, Mass.) will look to build upon her record-setting performance from last year’s championship in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke, as she currently holds the best time in the nation for the 200 this season.

Middlebury sophomore Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.) will look to improve upon her record-setting time in the 200-yard butterfly during last year’s championship. Ross, among the national leaders in the 100 and 200 butterfly, will face stiff competition from a host of swimmers, including Williams sophomore Cristina Haley (Harrison, N.Y.).

Four of the five relay events at last year’s meet saw record-setting performances, with Williams coming away with the new mark in the 200 and 400-yard freestyle along with the 400 medley while rival Amherst posted the best time in the 800 free. The two squads are expected once again to perform well in the relay events this year, but don’t be surprised to see host Bowdoin along with Colby and Middlebury among the top times.

In diving, Middlebury sophomore Alanna Hanson (Golden Bridge, N.Y.) posted a fourth-place showing in both the 1-meter and 3-meter as a rookie last season. Hanson hopes to grab the top spot in both events this year, but look for her to be challenged by Bates rookie Kelsey Lamdin (Brunswick, Maine) and Hamilton senior Emily Clinkhammer (Cazenovia, N.Y.).

Competition will get underway each day with preliminary heats at 10:00 a.m. Finals will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, 5:50 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Real-time results for the championship can be found at http://www.pjmm.net/results.html