WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT. 2/20/11 – It was a super Sunday for Keene State College at the men's and women's New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, VT
The Keene State men's teams set one meet mark, a pair of school records, and posted two NCAA Division III championship qualifying times on the way to capturing its third consecutive NEISDA championship with 1,002 points. Bentley University finished a distant second with 763.5 points.
Although the Keene State women saw their three-year title reign come to end with a second place finish, the Owls had a superb day in the pool, setting one meet mark, three school records and recording NCAA championship qualify times in a three events. Bentley defeated the Owls 1,467-1,142.5 in the three-day meet.
"I didn't think it was possible, but they competed at a new level," said KSC Coach Jack Fabian who was named the NEISDA men's coach of the year. "The guys had a dominating performance and the women showed a lot of heart and never gave up."
"It was an honor to be a part of this team," said Cody Larrimore, who won the senior point award. Larrimore from Trappe, Md., finished his four-year career by winning all his races at the championship.
"I'm really proud of the team," said Kaila Umbarger, a sophomore from Chelmsford, Mass. "We knew it would be hard to win the championship again, but everyone had their best times and left it all in the pool."
The Keene State men won four races in the final day of competition. The Owls began the day by sweeping the top-five places in the 100 free. Senior Connor Pennoyer (Norwalk, Conn.) won with a time of 46.35 followed by freshman Jared Hyde (Tolland, Conn.) who was second (46.65).
Owl swimmers also went one-two in the 1,650 free. Freshman Drew Ledwith (Keene, N.H.) shattered the school and meet record and posted an NCAA A cut with his time of 15:30.16. Senior Dan Morse (Hope, R.I.) took second with a time of 16:35.18.
"I went out hard and just tried to hang on," said Ledwith, who was named the male swimmer of the meet. "When I looked up and saw my time I was really happy. As a first-time swimmer, you never expect to do so well and set personal best time in all you're races."
Senior D.J. Collis (Laconia, N.H.) led a KSC sweep of the top-three positions in the 200 fly. Collis touched the wall first with a time of 1:58.14 followed by freshmen Dan Oliveira (Ludlow, Mass.) with a t time of 1:58.58 and Tyler Tallcouch (Seymour, Conn.) who was third (2:01.15).
Sophomore Marc Marois (Derry, N.H.) took second in the 200 breast with a time of 2:13.09.
The team of Larrimore, sophomore Austin Harris (Essex Junction, Vt.), Hyde and Pennoyer concluded the meet in grand style by winning the 400 free relay with a school record and NCAA B cut time of 3:05.20.
The Keene State women were led by the trio of juniors Maureen O'Leary (Nashua, N.H.) and Jillian Whitaker (Gilford, N.H.) and Umbarger on the final day. Umbarger won the 100 free, setting a school and meet record and clocking a NCAA A cut time of 51.21. Whitaker and O'Leary set school records and posted NCAA B cut times with their first-place finishes in the 200 breast (2:22.12) and 200 fly (2:08.33) respectively.
Senior Jessica Laidley (Brockton, Mass.) also won the 1,650 free (18:09.01).
Freshmen Lianna Wissmann (Orleans, Mass.) and Stephanie Murray (Haverhill, Mass.) teamed up with Whitaker and Umbarger to win the 400 free relay with a time of 3:34. 47.
Keene State conclude the swimming portion of the championship by setting a combined 13 school records, seven meet marks, and posting NCAA championship cuts in nine events.
