Nine Swimmers and Divers Earn All-NEC Honors
Taylor Friedmann was named Co-Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet and Co-Outstanding Rookie of the Meet at the Northeast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships two weeks ago. The freshman headlines a group of nine Central Connecticut swimmers and divers to be named to the All-NEC Teams, as released by the conference today.
Taylor Friedmann was named Co-Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet and Co-Outstanding Rookie of the Meet at the Northeast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships two weeks ago. The freshman headlines a group of nine Central Connecticut swimmers and divers to be named to the All-NEC Teams, as released by the conference today.
Friedmann took first place in the 500 freestyle, breaking the conference and CCSU freshman records in the event. She also broke the CCSU freshman record in winning the 200 free and was only six hundredths of a second off the school record. Friedmann's championship 1650 free broke yet another CCSU freshman record as she earned All-NEC First Team accolades in all three events.
Sophomores Alex Czaplicki and Madison Vestergaard joined Friedmann as first team selections. Czaplicki won the 400 IM and the 200 backstroke at the meet and took second in the 200 IM to earn second team honors in that event. Vestergaard earned her first team selection after winning the three-meter dive at the championships. She also received second team accolades for a silver medalist performance in the one-meter dive.
The Blue Devil 800 freestyle relay team of Friedmann, Czaplicki, senior Kandra Kane and freshman Lauren O'Kelly also garnered first team honors, winning the event in a time of 7:38.26. Three CCSU relays also earned second team accolades. Czaplicki, Friedmann and Kane were joined by sophomore Kristen Malski and freshmen Katie Lang and Hannah Packer for the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay and 400 free relay.
Kane, Malski and Lang added individual second team honors. Kane finished second in both the 500 and 200 free, while Malski took home silver medalist honors in the 100 breaststroke. Lang tied Wagner's Jessica Hart with a time of 2:06.81 to place second in the 200 butterfly.
Five CCSU team members added All-NEC Third Team honors to their resumés. O'Kelly and Kane took third in one event each, while Lang, Packer and Kristen Rossi took home two bronze medalist performances. Packer placed third in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Rossi was third in both the one and three-meter diving events at the championships.
The Blue Devils will be competing at the ECAC Championships this weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. The meet is scheduled for February 26, 27 and 28.
