CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. 2/8/10 - Swimming against the best brought out the best in four Keene State women's swimmers who competed this past weekend at the New England Invitational at Boston College.

            Going up four Division I teams at the meet, Keene State won five races and set a school record.

            Freshman Kaila Umbarger (Chelmsford, Mass.) times in the 100 free (53.35) and 50 fly (26.02) broke the KSC records in these events.  Kaila  broke the 50 fly record with a legal split in the 100fly, her time for the 50 fly was 26.01 and her final time for the 100 fly (57.23) is an NCAA provisional time.  That mark would have made her an all-american at last year's NCAA meet.  It's a huge drop for a swimmer that never broke 1 minute in the 100 fly before attending Keene State.

             Senior Alea Paddock (Newbury, N.H.) also posted a pair of wins, touching the wall first in the 100 breast (1:09.58) and the 200 breast (2:29.43). 

            Senior Jackie Foster (Goffstown, N.H.) posted the Owls' fifth victory with her first placed effort (17:40.54) in the 1,650 free.

            Sophomore Jillian Whitaker (Gilford, N.H.) was second in the 100 free with a time of 54.28.

            Keene State will be looking for its third consecutive NEISDA championship that takes place Feb. 19- 21 at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, Vt.