THE BASICS:
-Event: 2016 Northeast-10 Championships
-Results: 2nd of 9 Teams (Day 2)
-Location: Worcester, Mass. (@ WPI)
-The Lead: After two days of competition, the Assumption College swimming team has slipped to second place with a two-day total of 293.5 points after 14 events. The Hounds are just 9.5 points behind the current leader, Southern Connecticut, and medaled in four of the Hounds' five events on the evening.
Sophomore Niamh Morgan (Bettystown, Ireland / Sacred Heart School) claimed Assumption's only gold medal on the day as she broke her own program record in the 200 IM while freshman Shannon Quirk (Wakefield, Mass. / Wakefield Memorial) broke the program record in the 500 freestyle that was set in 2011.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
-Quirk kicked off the day for the Hounds, medaling in the first finals race of the evening while breaking her third program record. She clocked a time of 5:03.39 for second place overall in the 500 freestyle to qualify for the NCAA B cut. Her time surpasses former Hound Monique Haney's record of 5:04.83, which she set in 2011.
-Morgan followed with a gold medal for Assumption in the 200 IM event. She touched the wall in 2:06.03 to qualify for the NCAA B cut and break her own program record of 2:07.38, which she set at last year's championships.
-The Hounds sent two swimmers to the podium in the 200 IM as senior Victoria Weber (Augusta, Maine / Cony) followed just behind Morgan in third with her time of 2:08.41.
-Senior Rachel Ferris (Stephentown, N.Y. / Berlin) finished sixth in the 50 freestyle with her time of 24.73 to register 13 points, but three Hounds earned additional points in the B heat. Junior Allie Wuerfl (Wayland, Mass. / Wayland) and freshman Morgan Nicholls (East London, South Africa / Clarendon) finished first and second in the heat for ninth and 10th place overall with their times of 24.96 and 25.08. They were followed by freshman Caroline Cole (Highland Mills, N.Y. / Monroe Woodbury) who tied for 12th in 25.53 as the trio combined for 20.5 points toward the Hound total.
-In the final event of day two, Assumption once again finished in the top three. The 400 yard medley relay squad, consisting of Weber, Ferris, Morgan and sophomore Courtney Barr (Waltham, Mass. / Matignon), clocked a time of 3:56.65 for third place overall.
-The Hounds took the B final of the 400 yard medley relay with a time of 4:02.12. The squad consisted of sophomore Aerin Toskas (Douglaston, N.Y. / Archbishop Molloy), junior Rachel Gagnon (Tolland, Conn. / Tolland), freshman Ali Petrozza (North Andover, Mass. / Austin Preparatory School) and sophomore Bella Omobono (Chelmsford, Mass. / Chelmsford).
BEHIND THE RESULTS:
-Quirk's record in the 500 freestyle marks the third Assumption program record the freshman has broken in her inaugural season. She now holds three freestyle records: the 500, 1000 and the 1650.
-Assumption (293.5) sits in second place just 9.5 points behind Southern Connecticut University (303). The Hounds ended the Owls' NE-10 win streak three seasons ago when Assumption earned its first program victory.
-Bentley is currently in third with a score of 263.5 followed by Pace (201), Le Moyne (200), Saint Rose (190), Saint Michael's (115), Adelphi (99) and Merrimack (56).
-In the 400 medley relay event, Southern Connecticut earned the victory with a time of 3:53.29. Assumption claimed the event last season with a time of 3:55.25 and finished just over a second shy of that in the evening's competition.
UP NEXT:
-The 2016 Northeast-10 Championships will continue throughout the weekend and finish on Sunday. The squads will begin Saturday's prelim competition at 10:15 a.m. before kicking off finals competition at 6 p.m. Both sessions will be broadcast LIVE on AssumptionGreyhounds.tv.
STAY CONNECTED:
-For the latest on Assumption College Athletics, follow the Hounds via social media on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For more information, contact the Office of Athletic Communications at 508-767-7240.
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