SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.--The Keene State College swimming & diving teams took the lead on the first day of the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Rhode Island's Tootell Aquatic Center on Friday.
After day one, the Owl men hold a comfortable lead, having picked up 370 points. Roger Williams University is in second with 218, and Norwich University in third with 186.5.
The Owl women are also in front, with a total of 580.5 points, also ahead of Roger Williams, who sits in second place with 519.5 points. Simmons College is in third with 357 points.
Alison Bartlett won the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 23.68 seconds, missing the automatically qualifying time for the NCAA Championships by .33 seconds. Diana Pimer, meanwhile, set a new NEISDA record in the 200 IM in 2:07.38 to take the event by nearly four full seconds.
Pimer's time broke a 19 year old mark, set previously in 1996 by Marla Robertson of Williams College.
Bartlett was part of the 200 free relay team with Taylor DaSilva, Brianna Laliberte, and Madison Sestak that won in 1:37.68, while the Owls also took the 400 medley relay in 3:54.59, with DaSilva, Pimer, Bartlett, and Amber Long making up the winning squad.
KSC's men's squad posted several wins as well, beginning with a win in the 200 free relay by Greg Youngstrom, Zach Carroll, Cole Hogg, and Luke Sprague in 1:23.77.
Christopher Deegan posted a dominating win in the 500 free, touching the wall in 4:35.69, nearly 11 full seconds in front of his next competitor.
Junior Cody Fitzgerald placed second on the one-meter board, totallign 412.55 points.
Competition resumes on Saturday.
Shepard and Ethan Etheridge went 1-2 in the 50 breaststroke, as Shepard won in 26.20, with Etheridge right behind in 26.69. KSC also took three of the top four places in the 200 backstroke, with Randy Dunton winning in 1:51.35, Mark Strothenke in second in 1:57.23, and Antony Hubbard in fourth.
Youngstrom nabbed another win in the 50 free in 21.06, while Shepard, Sprague, Bobby McDowell, and Cole Hogg ended the night by winning the 400 medley relay in 3:23.61.
