SWIMMING AND DIVING RECORDS EIGHT FIRST-PLACE FINISHES AT AE CHAMPIONSHIPS; EARN THIRD PLACE

DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE | DAY FOUR

BOSTON, Mass. - The University of New Hampshire women's swimming and diving team took first place in eight of 18 events, earning third place at the America East Swimming and Diving Championships held at Boston University this past weekend.
 
New Hampshire's eight first-place finishes is the most by any America East team at the championships. On the weekend the Wildcats broke eight school and seven conference records, while also qualifying for NCAA provisional time standards in six swims.

Amy Perrault (Kirkland Lake, Ontario) captured three individual titles on the weekend, earning the Women's Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet award. The honor comes as the junior's second major award at the championships all-time, as she was also selected as the Rookie of the Meet at the America East Championships in 2008, notching the second-highest number of points in her field.

In addition, UNH earned America East Coaching Staff of the Year for the 10th time in Josh Willman's 17-year tenure as New Hampshire's head coach.

The first day of competition was highlighted with UNH breaking two conference and pool records, as it claimed the top spot in the field, notching an impressive 80 points.

The Wildcats opened up the meet setting a new pool and America East record in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7 minutes and 21.11 seconds. The impressive time was also a school record for New Hampshire.

UNH rounded out the meet with an equally impressive performance in the 200-yard medley relay, breaking a pool and an America East championship record with a time of 1:42.24. For the Wildcats, both times qualify as NCAA provisional cuts.

New Hampshire kept up its hot pace on day two of the championships, as Perrault led a 1-2 sweep of the 200-yard individual medley, capturing first place in the event, finishing day two in second place with 239 points.

Perrault took the top spot with a time of 2:02.71, while Jessica Little (Barrie, Ontario) was quick to follow her Wildcat teammate, notching second place, touching in at 2:04.09.

Mallory Morrell (Rush. N.Y.) gave New Hampshire a lift in the 50-yard freestyle, claiming second place after ripping through the water with a time of 23.20. Morrell broke an America East Championship record with her lead off swim (23.07) in the 200-yard freestyle relay clocking in at 1:35.40, as she helped propel UNH to a third-place finish.

On day three of competition, Perrault was at it again, claiming first place in the 100-yard back, as New Hampshire rounded out the day in third place with 406 points.

Perrault finished the event with a time of 54.74 seconds. However, she was even more impressive in the preliminary race, as she qualified for an NCAA provisional cut and set an America East record with a time of 54.67. She has now won that event for three consecutive years.

The final event of the evening was the 400-yard medley relay, which UNH won last year and previously held the America East record. The Wildcats earned another record-setting first-place finish in the event this year with a time of 3:44.72, breaking their own record by almost two seconds. The relay consisted of Perrault (55.01), Allison Nahin (Hartland, Wis.; 1:02.55), Shelli Reed (Hollister, Calif.; 56.69), and Morrell (50.47).

Nahin claimed New Hampshire's first medal of the day, notching a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. Nahin's time of 1:03.08 in her preliminary race set a new conference and school record and was just .10 seconds away from an NCAA provisional cut.  She came back at night to win and successfully defend her 2009 America East title with a time of 1:03.16.

During the final day of competition, Perrault earned her third individual title on the weekend, claiming first place in the 200-yard backstroke in an America East and UNH record time of 1:58.59. Her impressive time also qualifies as an NCAA provisional cut.

The ‘Cats notched another first place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke, as Little touched in at an NCAA provisional cut time of 2:16.70. Nahin also added a fifth place finish in the event, with a time of 2:21.47.

New Hampshire rounded out the day going neck-and-neck with Boston University in the 400-yard freestyle relay, as both teams broke the pool record, but the Terriers finished just a shade ahead of the Wildcats in first place with a time of 3:23.53.

New Hampshire took second place in the event with an NCAA provisional time of 3:24.08, as Kiersten Wollenzien (Holland Landing, Ontario), Morrell, Perrault and Reed led the way for the Wildcats.