WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT. 2/18/12 – It was another productive day in the pool for Keene State College simmers at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships at the Upper Valley Aquatics Center in White River Junction, Vt. on Saturday.

The Owls won a combined seven races, setting three meet marks with NCAA Division III Championship B cut qualifying times in day two of the meet.  After relinquishing the lead early in the day, the Keene State men fought back to regain first place with 623 points after 34 events.  Bentley University is a close second with 587 points. The Owl women, who have 974 points after 33 events, still trail Bentley University (1,054 points).

"It was another good day," said KSC coach Jack Fabian.  "Every ones times continue to improve and that's what you're looking for at a championship meet.

Sophomore Drew Ledwith (Keene, N.H.) continued to set records on Saturday, winning the 400 IM with a school and meet record and NCAA championship qualifying time of 3:59.16.  Junior Marc Marios (Derry, N.H.) was second with a time of 4:11.00.

In the final race of the day, Ledwith teamed up with junior Austin Harris (Essex Junction, Vt.), and sophomores James Black (Lynn, Mass.) and Jared Hyde (Tolland, Conn.) to take down the meet record in the 800 free relay.  They won the race with a school record and NCAA qualifying time of 6:48.76.

In the women's competition, senior Jillian Whitaker (Gilford, N.H.) set the third meet record for the Owls with her second place finish in the 100 breast.  She posted a school and NCAA qualifying time of 1:03.98 in the race.

The Keene State men won four other races.  Freshman Gib Stevens (Reading, Mass.) and Randall Dunton (St. Cloud, Fla.) won the 1,000 free (9:56.22) and the 100 back (52.50) respectively.  Harris (Essex Junction, Vt.) won the 200 free (1:43.94). Sophomore Dan Oliveira (Ludlow, Mass.) joined Dunton, Hyde, and Black to win the 200 medley relay (1:34.33).

Hyde and Black were also second (58.44) and fourth (59.39) in the 100 breast race. 

Senior Maureen O'Leary also had a first place finish for the KSC women, winning the 50 fly with a time of 26.27.

Freshman Diana Pimer (West Haven, Conn.) was second in the 400 IM (4:37.67) and freshman Taylor DaSilva (Stony Brook, N.Y.) was the runner-up in the 100 back (1:00.43).  Sophomore Stephanie Murray (Haverhill, Mass.) was also fourth in the 100 back (1:00.74).

Freshmen Caitlyn Shea (Salem, N.H.) and Julie Trodden (Reading, Mass.) turned in third place finishes in the 200 free (1:57.15) and 1,000 free (10:47.63) respectively.

The KSC women posted a pair of second place performances in relays.  Sophomore Lianna Wissmann (Orleans, Mass.) teamed with O'Leary, Pimer and Whitaker to finish second in the 200 medley relay (1:48.88).  And the foursome of Whitaker, Shea, Trodden and Murray set a school record with their second place finish in the 800 free relay (7:49.08).

The three-day meet concludes on Sunday.