NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.--The Keene State College women's swimming and diving team maintained their total dominance of the Little East Conference as the Owls cruised to a 14th consecutive conference title at the Tripp Athletic Center at UMass Dartmouth on Saturday.

After the meet, Sophie Hayes was named the LEC Swimmer of the Year, the seventh Owl to receive the award and the first since Hope Walsh did so in 2018.  Hayes joins Walsh, who is the only three time winner of the event in LEC history (2016-18), Alison Bartlett (2014-15), Diana Pimer (2013), Jillian Whitaker (2012), Kaila Umbarger (2011), and Kristine Trutor (2009-10).   Hayes won two individual events, was second in another, and also was part of a winning relay on the day.

Jaelin Jang was named as the LEC Rookie of the Year.   She becomes the eighth Owl to capture the award for the conference's top freshman, joining previous winners Hayes (2017), Katie Brandeberry (2016), Rachel Butler (2014), Bartlett (2013), Pimer (2012), Umbarger (2010), and Whitaker (2009).   Jang won three races and a relay for the Owls.

In the pool, KSC captured 12 races, scoring 534 points.  Keene State easily outpaced second place UMass Dartmouth, which was second with 299 points.

Sydney McGough, Madison Pechulis, Hayes, and Molly O'Connor opened the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay, in 1:53.23, while Paige Carey won the 1,650 free in 18:59.92.  Jang won the first of her three races on the day, taking the 200 free in 1:59.57, with Hayes in second in 2:02.43.

Samantha Dickinson was second in the 100 backstroke in 1:01.96, and Madison Pechulis and Carey went 1-2 in the 100 breaststroke, as Pechulis won in 1:07.46 and Carey next in 1:11.16.  Hayes added a win in the 200 fly in 2:13.57, as did Dickinson in the 50 free in 25.81.  Jang added another victory in the 100 free in 55.35, with teammate Erin Morley in second place in 57.50.

Madison Pechulis took home the win in the 200 breaststroke in 2:30.58, with sister Olivia Pechulis next in 2:35.40, and Dickinson won the 500 free in 5:26.00. Hayes notched a second win in the 100 fly in 59.85, as did Jang in the 200 IM in 2:16.27.   Dickinson, Morley, Carey, and Jang closed out the meet with a resounding win in the 400 free, clocking in at 3:49.01, to win by nearly 17 full seconds. 

All race winners were named First Team All-LEC, while all second place finishers were named Second Team All-LEC.