The Boston University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams finished fourth and third respectively in the America East Championships held at the Fitness and Recreation Center last weekend.
“It’s the best finish I could have imagined,” said first-year coach Bill Smyth. “Everyone lived up to expectations this weekend.”
BU fared best in the diving part of the competition. Freshman Alex Crerar won the women’s 3-meter dive and Brian Lawler won the men’s 3-meter. Lawler also placed second in the 1-meter competition.
In the lanes, junior Lidija Breiznikar set an America East meet record with a 4:21:77 in the women’s 400-yard swim. Her mark was one of more than 20 new records set during the weekend.
Breiznikar also finished second in the women’s 200-yard breaststroke at 2:16:54, just a second off the previous meet record.
The BU men placed swimmers in fourth, sixth and eighth in the 1-mile, led by junior Michael Bear with a time of 16:22:03. Smyth said this was not the only surprise of the weekend.
“It wouldn’t be fair to label one event as a surprise. The whole team was a pleasant surprise this weekend,” Smyth said. “I’m really proud how we performed.”
BU also fared well in the women’s 100-yard freestyle, as senior Natalie Boyd finished third, freshman Eve Kinsella fourth and senior Kila Englebrook came in sixth. Senior Mike Kelly finished third in the men’s 100-yard race.
A host of BU women finished third in their events on the weekend – including freshman Christina Ruggiero in the 500-yard freestyle event, Breiznikar in the 200-yard individual medley and senior Natalie Boyd in the 200-yard freestyle. Senior Mike Kelly finished third in the men’s 50-yard freestyle.
In relay competition, the BU women placed second in the 200-yard event and third in the 400-yard race. These good finishes lined them up for a third-place overall finish. The University of New Hampshire took home the America East crown, as Wildcat sophomore Kary Goodman dominated the competition with seven individual and relay wins and five new meet records.
The BU men finished third in the 800-yard relay and fourth in the 200-yard and 400-yard races. The men’s overall winner was the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, taking its third straight America East Championship.
The third- and fourth-place finishes for the BU team wraps up a long season, but Smyth likes the direction the program is going. He went into the stands after the meet and personally thanked many of the parents for their support during his first season.
“It’s been a long season,” Smyth said, “but this performance gives us lots of momentum going into next year.”