February 24, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carole Grills
(413) 585-2703

Smith Places Sixth at NEWMAC Swimming & Diving Championship

Northampton, MA: Senior Marly Pineda (Bosque Farms, NM) and first year Lily Seidman (Westfield, IN) finished first and second in the 200 fly today in the final day of competition of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Swimming & Diving Championship to help the Pioneers to a sixth place overall finish.

Pineda won the event in 2:12.72 with Seidman close behind her in 2:13.93.  Pineda also placed 6th (18:11.78) in the 1650 freestyle that was won by MIT's Nicole O'Keeffe in 17:41.52. Seidman posted a fourth place (2:14.73) finish in the 200 back while teammate Lenora Walter (Santa Ynez, CA) took tenth (2:20.28). First year Reyna Levine (Kalamazoo, MI) finished 14th in the 200 breast (2:39.64) and senior diver Shanti Freitas (Evanston, IL) scored 521.65 points to take second in the 3-meter diving event.  The Pioneers entered two relay teams into the final race of the day, the 400 free relay. Christine Dzialo (Belchertown, MA), Pineda, Francesca Kotey (Gainesville, FL) and Seidman took 7th in 3:49.66 while Walter, Abigail Carr (New York, NY), Rachel Dorset (Stratford, CT) and Levine placed 15th in 3:57.87. Pineda earned All Conference First Team honors with her first place finish while Seidman and Freitas brought home All Conference Second Team honors.

The final team standings were Springfield (707.5 pts), MIT (701), Wheaton (645), Wellesley (487.5), Coast Guard (343), Smith (283), Babson (221), Clark (184), Mount Holyoke (169) and WPI (134).