Results

BOSTON – In front of a roaring crowd at Barletta Natatorium on Saturday afternoon, the Northeastern women's swimming and diving team performed well on Senior Day, swimming to a 175-117 victory against Vermont. Out of 16 overall events, the Huskies ended the dual meet with 28 top-three finishes and 12 wins, the most NU has achieved this season since Oct. 31-Nov. 1, against College of Charleston.
 
As a part of the Senior Day festivities before the meet began, head coach Roy Coates and the Huskies honored the four members of the 2015 senior class: Erica DeMunbrun, Jessica Colucci, Megan Foran, and Anna Schegoleva. The talented quartet of veterans have led Northeastern to more than 30 dual-meet victories during the past four years, bringing the Huskies a top-five finish at the 2013 CAA championships for the first time since 2008. Whether as swimmers or team captains, the four seniors have pushed their teammates to conquer new heights, helping NU set eight new program records so far in 2014-15.
 
While the day belonged to the seniors, Northeastern (5-3, 2-2 CAA) also enjoyed several great performances by members of its freshman class. Sara Touchette-McGowan, Samira Hoesl, and Jacquelyn Gover each won two individual events apiece, and along with Christine Leong, combined for seven of the Huskies' 12 first-place results.
 
Northeastern began the dual meet by sweeping the podium in the 1-meter diving event as Gover earned a first-place score of 286.35. Caroline Gonsalves (256.95) and Megan Rutter (242.65) placed second and third, respectively, giving NU a 16-3 lead after the opening event.
 
In the 200 medley relay, Coates elected to have all three of his competing seniors represent the Huskies' A-team, but the combination of Schegoleva, Hoesl, DeMunbrun, and Colucci (1:47.01) was edged out by the Northeastern B-squad comprised of Leong, Taylor Ellis, Touchette-McGowan, and Rachel Green (1:44.47). With the one-two finish in the relay event, the Huskies jumped out to a 31-5 lead on Vermont (7-2, 1-0 America East) through the first two events.
 
Although Catamounts swimmer Kelly Lennon (10:37.68) edged out Jordan Domeier (10:42.77) and Rachael Geiger (10:44.16) in the 1000 freestyle, Ellis and Foran put NU back in control as the two finished the 200 freestyle with respective times of 1:54.50 and 1:55.29.
 
A miscue by Northeastern in the 100 backstroke awarded Vermont a free 16 points, pulling the Catamounts to within 12 points, trailing just 51-39. Sophie Browne and Christine Leong were disqualified for swimming in the incorrect heat, but the two swimmers would bounce back with strong afternoons. After Hoesl placed first in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.57), Delaney Lanker cruised to a four-second victory in the 200 butterfly (2:07.09), and the Huskies were back on top after seven events, 78-50.
 
Northeastern boosted its dual-meet advantage against Vermont again when Touchette-McGowan sprinted to a first-place time of 24.11 in the 50 freestyle. The current NU-record holder in the event tagged the wall ahead of teammate Green, who placed second with a time of 24.58.
 
Gover completed the sweep of both diving events with a score of 263.75 in the 3-meter dive as all four NU divers finished in front of Vermont. Touchette-McGowan swam to her second first-place result in three events with a time of 52.95 in the 100 freestyle, helping the Huskies extend their lead to 106-62 after ten out of 16 events. Seniors Schegoleva and Colucci finished second (54.17) and fifth (55.56), respectively.
 
Locked in a tight race in the 200 backstroke, Leong pulled away from Vermont's Ilsa Feierabend during the final leg, swimming the last portion of the event with a split-time of 32.04, almost 0.75 seconds faster than Feierabend's split of 32.78. Browne cracked the top three and placed third with a time of 2:09.60.
 
Entering the final five events with a 133-71 lead, Northeastern fed off the crowd's energy in Barletta Natatorium and notched victories in the 200 breaststroke (Hoesl, 2:24.22) and 500 freestyle (Ellis, 5:09.61). Several seniors had top-three performances down the stretch for the Huskies, as Foran's second-place result in the 500 freestyle (5:11.16) was followed by a first- and third-place finishes by Schegoleva (58.06) and DeMunbrun (59.67) in the 100 butterfly.
 
Comfortably ahead, 175-86, Coates decided to swim the final two events of the day as an exhibition, and made way for his seniors in the 200 freestyle relay. In the final home event of their careers, Schegoleva, DeMunbrun, Foran, and Colucci combined for a relay time of 1:41.58, and helped the Huskies wrap up a 175-117 victory.
 
Northeastern will return to the pool next Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24 in Hanover, New Hampshire, as the Huskies will compete in the 2015 Dartmouth Invitational.