March 30, 2009

LEC Women's Swim Honors: Trutor and Whitaker Receive Major Awards

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The Little East Conference office announced its annual women's swimming and diving major award winners and all-conference teams for the 2009 season this afternoon. Keene State College junior Kristine Trutor (Holden, Mass.) was named the swimmer of the year, while teammate freshman Jillian Whitaker (Gilford, N.H.) was selected the rookie swimmer of the year. Western Connecticut State University sophomore Heather Bodington (Wethersfield, Conn.) was tabbed the diver of the year, while Eastern Connecticut's Maureen Fahey was honored as the coach of the year by her peers.

Trutor became the first Owl to score at the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, earning All-American honorable mention honors with a 14th place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (57.09). She also competed in the 100-yard and 200 back events, but did not advance to the finals. Trutor was named the NEISDA swimmer of the meet after setting two individual pool records and two championship meet marks in the three-day event. She captured the 200-back (2:07.47-pool record), 100 back (57.63-meet and pool record), and 50 back (26.89-meet record) events. Trutor was also a member of the winning 200 free relay (1:39.65), 400 medley relay (3:57.68-pool record), 200 medley relay (1:48.66-pool record), and 400 free relay (3:35.77-pool record), which established new Keene State records.

"I'm really excited about the honor," said Trutor. "In retorspect I had a great season, and this award is like icing on the cake."

Earlier in the season, Trutor helped the Owls' capture their third straight Little East Conference Championship. She dominated the backstroke events, breaking two of her own personal championship records. Trutor set a new standard in the 100-yard event with a time of 58.24, shattering the previous mark set in 2006 (1:01.28). She posted a time of 2:08.52 in the 200-yard backstroke to shave 6.47 seconds off the meet record. Trutor broke the two-year benchmark in the 100-yard butterfly, touching in at 58.57 seconds. She also combined with her teammates to break the 200-yard medley relay. She was also named the Little East Swimmer of the Week four times on the campaign.

At the 2009 NEISDA Championships, Bodington placed seventh on the one-meter board with a season-high score of 317.15 points. She was the top Little East competitor in the regional field and earned All-Little East, first-team honors. Bodington won the one-meter event at the Little East Conference Championships with 208.95 points, while placing fourth in the three-meter event (148.80). She was selected the Little East Conference Diver of the Week three times, while earning top rookie honors once.

Whittaker won the 50 freestyle (24.95) and 100 breaststroke (1:06.96), while placing second in the 100 freestyle (54.63) at the 2009 NEISDA Championships to help Keene State College repeat as regional champions. She qualified provisionally for the NCAA Division III Championships in the 100-yard breaststroke. The Gilford, N.H. product became the first Little East Championship swimmer to break 25 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall at 24.92. She also claimed the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events with a time of 1:08.50 and 2:30.74, respectively.

Fahey guided Eastern Connecticut to the program's best finish at the Little East Championship this season, placing second with 308 total points. The Warriors used the momentum gained at the Little East Championships to post the a sixth place result in the 21-team field at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 22. Sophomore Amy Arisco (Wallingford, Conn.) paced Eastern Connecticut by breaking three individual records in the individual medley. Fahey also mentored four student-athletes on the Little East All-Academic teams.

The 2009 Little East All-Conference teams are listed below. The all-conference honorees were determined by their finish at the NEISDA Championships.

50 Yard Freestyle
First Team
2009	Jillian Whitaker	Keene State College	24.96
Second Team
2009	Kelsy Doheny	Eastern Connecticut	26.50
Third Team
2009	Kaitlyn Milligan	Plymouth State University	26.81
100 Yard Freestyle
First Team
2009	Jillian Whitaker	Keene State College	54.63
Second Team
2009	Francesca Testa	Western Connecticut	54.64
Third Team
2009	Kelsy Doheny	Eastern Connecticut	56.59
200 Yard Freestyle
First Team
2009	Jackie Foster	Keene State College	1:54.74
Second Team
2009	Nicole Brodeur	Plymouth State University	2:02.32
Third Team
2009	Rose Harrington	Keene State College	2:05.23
500 Yard Freestyle
First Team
2009	Jackie Foster	Keene State College	5:06.77
Second Team
2009	Jessica Laidley	Keene State College	5:16.74
Third Team
2009	Maria Altieri	Eastern Connecticut	5:31.96
1,650 Yard Freestyle
First Team
2009	Jackie Foster	Keene State College	17:49.57
Second Team
2009	Jessica Laidley	Keene State College	18:05.05
Third Team
2009	Rose Harrington	Keene State College	18:56.38

50 Yard Backstroke
First Team
2009	Kristine Trutor	Keene State College	26.89
Second Team
2009	Katie Meleg	Western Connecticut	29.32
Third Team
2009	Bridget Kline	Keene State College	30.74
100 Yard Backstroke
First Team
2009	Kristine Trutor	Keene State College	57.63
Second Team
2009	Katie Meleg	Western Connecticut	1:01.13
Third Team
2009	Bridget Kline	Keene State College	1:04.31
200 Yard Backstroke
First Team
2009	Kristine Trutor	Keene State College	2:07.47
Second Team
2009	Katie Meleg	Western Connecticut	2:10.45
Third Team
2009	Bridget Kline	Keene State College	2:16.34
50 Yard Breaststroke
First Team
2009	Megan Dyson	Western Connecticut	31.03
Second Team
2009	Meghan Wilson	Keene State College	32.10
Third Team
2009	Jessica Wilson	Eastern Connecticut	33.15
100 Yard Breaststroke
First Team
2009	Jillian Whitaker	Keene State College	1:06.96
Second Team
2009	Alea Paddock	Keene State College	1:07.87
Third Team
2009	Megan Dyson	Western Connecticut	1:08.03
200 Yard Breaststroke
First Team
2009	Megan Dyson	Western Connecticut	2:28.35
Second Team
2009	Alea Paddock	Keene State College	2:29.37
Third Team
2009	Kathleen Foley	UMass Dartmouth	2:34.81

50 Yard Butterfly
First Team
2009	Maureen O'Leary	Keene State College	26.62
Second Team
2009	Sondra McAdam	Western Connecticut	26.92
Third Team
2009	Francesca Testa	Western Connecticut	27.37
100 Yard Butterfly
First Team
2009	Maureen O'Leary	Keene State College	58.61

2009	Sondra McAdam	Western Connecticut	59.67

2009	Nadine Menard	Eastern Connecticut	1:04.56
200 Yard Butterfly
First Team
2009	Maureen O'Leary	Keene State College	2:11.89
Second Team
2009	Nadine Menard	Eastern Connecticut	2:24.39
Third Team
2009	Sondra McAdam	Western Connecticut	2:19.01
100 Yard IM
First Team
2009	Amy Arisco	Eastern Connecticut	1:04.03
Second Team
2009	Kari Piedescalzo	Western Connecticut	1:07.98
200 Yard IM
First Team
2009	Alea Paddock	Keene State College	2:13.65
Second Team
2009	Amy Arisco	Eastern Connecticut	2:17.09
Third Team
2009	Rose Harrington	Keene State College	2:23.51
400 Yard IM
First Team
2009	Amy Arisco	Eastern Connecticut	4:49.84
Second Team
2009	Maria Altieri	Eastern Connecticut	4:59.92
Third Team
2009	Lisa Sands	UMass Dartmouth	5:05.03

One Meter Diving
First Team
2009	Heather Bodington	Western Connecticut	317.15
Second Team
2009	Rachel Battis	Keene State College	302.20
Three Meter Diving
First Team
2009	Danielle Stanko	UMass Dartmouth	204.10
Second Team
2009	Reachel Battis	Keene State College	173.20
Third Team
2009	Emma Tracy	Western Connecticut	155.50
200 Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team
2009	Keene State College		1:39.65

2009	Eastern Connecticut State University		1:44.91

2009	Western Connecticut State University		1:46.97
400 Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team
2009	Keene State College		3:35.77
Second Team
2009	Eastern Connecticut State University		3:47.63
Third Team
2009	Western Connecticut State University		3:51.72
800 yard Freestyle Relay
First Team
2009	Keene State College		7:59.18
Second Team
2009	Western Connecticut State University		8:18.61
Third Team
2009	Eastern Connecticut State University		8:29.81
200 Yard Medley Relay
First Team
2009	Keene State College		1:48.66
Second Team
2009	Western Connecticut State University		1:50.67
Third Team
2009	Eastern Connecticut State University		1:59.09
400 Medley Relay
First Team
2009	Keene State College		3:57.68
Second Team
2009	Western Connecticut State University		4:01.74
Third Team
2009	Eastern Connecticut State University		4:21.45