Emily Niemiec
Emily Niemiec

Bentley Women Sweep Past Babson, 137-69; Niemiec A Triple-Winner

WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University captured all 13 events, including three victories by freshman Emily Niemiec (Meriden, Conn./Francis T. Maloney HS), as the Falcons registered a 137-69 win over Babson College in women's college swimming Tuesday night at the Dana Center.

Bentley went 1-2-3 in five events with Niemiec leading the way in two of those, the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke.  She won the 200 free in 2:03.20, captured the 100 back in 1:05.40 and was also the first to touch in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.13). The closest of the three was the 100 back where she edged junior Meg Pernsteiner (Highland Heights, Ohio/Hawken School) by 0.20 seconds.

Double-winners for the Falcons were sophomore Kaitlin McGahie (Boylston/Tahanto Reg. HS) and senior Paige Wilde (Naugatuck, Conn./Holy Cross HS). McGahie prevailed in the 200 individual medley (2:18.12), helping the Falcons take the top three positions, and the 100 free (56.02) while Wilde swept the diving, posting winning scores of 257.24 from the one-meter board and 248.76 from the three-meter.

The Falcons' other 1-2-3 sweeps came in the 1000 free, with junior Kelly Culkin (Avon, Conn./ Avon HS) winning in 11:34.66, and the 500 free, taken by senior Nadine Edwards (Danbury, Conn./ Danbury HS) in 5:30.18.

Freshman Anne Warren (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron HS) finished first in the 100 butterfly (1:04.16) and senior Danielle Hellstern (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) was victorious in the 50 free (26.42).

Freshman Jessica Chen (Darien, Conn./Darien HS) was part of both winning relays, helping Bentley to times of 2:01.43 in the 200 medley and 1:47.75 in the 200 free. The former also included Pernsteiner and sophomores Laura Schlenker (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South HS) and Nicole Hellstern (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) while Warren, Culkin and Edwards joined Chen on the 200 free.

Bentley, 6-4, will complete its dual schedule next Tuesday with a home meet against Bridgewater State.