Niemiec & Warren Win Gold on Final Day of NE-10 Championships; Bentley Finishes 2nd
NEW HAVEN, Mass. – Bentley University freshmen Emily Niemiec (Meriden, Conn./Francis T. Maloney HS) and Anne Warren (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron HS) each made a trip to the top of the awards podium Sunday night during the final session of the 2015 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at Southern Connecticut State's Hutchinson Natatorium.
Niemiec, who had finished second in the 400 yard individual medley and third in the 200 IM earlier in the weekend, swam to victory in the 200 breaststroke, finishing in 2:24.53. She won comfortably with a margin of 2.58 seconds over Assumption's Rachel Gagnon.
Warren, who had the third best prelim time, captured the 200 butterfly in 2:10.69, edging Assumption's Rachel Lanam by only three-tenths of a second to claim gold.
As a team, Bentley finished second to repeat champion Assumption College. The Hounds totaled 931 points while the Falcons, who had been picked fourth pre-meet, edged the host team for second, 592-581. A total of nine teams participated.
In the final event, the 400 free relay, the Falcons earned bronze after being overtaken by Southern Connecticut during the final 100 yards, with Bentley finishing in 3:34.24. Niemiec was part of that relay, along with sophomore Kaitlin McGahie (Boylston, Mass./Tahanto Reg. HS) and seniors Danielle Hellstern (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) and Nadine Edwards (Danbury, Conn./ Danbury HS).
McGahie and Hellstern were both finalists in the 100 freestyle, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. McGahie touched in 53.57 seconds, 0.21 seconds before her teammate.
In the other individual final contested Sunday, the 1650 free, Edwards was fifth in 18:02.65 and junior Kelly Culkin (Avon, Conn./Avon HS) was eighth in 18:19.45.
Bentley senior Paige Wilde (Naugatuck, Conn./Holy Cross HS) was honored as the "Female Diver of the Meet" after winning gold in the one-meter diving on Thursday night and the three-meter on Saturday.
During the four-day meet, Bentley collected a total of 13 medals with four gold, two silver and seven bronze.