Dave Geringer                                                    Athletic Department                                            (508) 990-9651

Sports Information Director                             Tripp Athletic Center                           dgeringer@umassd.edu

CORSAIRS FOURTH AFTER FIRST ROUND NEISA SWIMMING

                                                                                                       Friday, 17 February 2006

SPRINGFIELD, MA- Junior Meagan Coache (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford HS) finished first in the 100 yard butterfly trials and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s swimming team ranks fourth of 11 teams after the first day of trials action at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming Association Championships at the Alumni Healthful Living Center at Western New England College Friday.

Coache was one of several Corsairs who advanced to the finals. She finished first with a time of 1:01.12. She also advanced as a member of the 400-yard medley relay team, which finished second in 4:15.38. Junior Seanna McRae (East Taunton, MA/Taunton HS) finished fourth in the 200 yard backstroke in 2:18.80, sophomore Hannah Blount (Nantucket, MA/Nantucket HS) was fourth in the 50 yard breaststroke in 33.74 seconds, and Blount and McRae joined Renee Krusznya on the second-place medley relay team.

For the men, senior Garrick Wong (Needham, MA/Needham HS) finished fourth in the men’s 50-yard freestyle in 22.71 seconds, junior Tom Cakounes (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford HS) was fifth in the 100-yard butterfly in 55.87 seconds, senior Jay Brinley (Melrose, MA/Boston College HS) was sixth in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:10.95, and Wong, Cakounes, junior Nicolas Almeida (Auburn, MA/Auburn HS) and junior Adam Barkley (Berea, OH/Berea HS) were members of the 200-yard freestyle relay team that finished third in 1:29.96.

The championships will continue this weekend and conclude Sunday evening.

                                                   UMASS DARTMOUTH SWIMMING