Baltimore, Md. (February 17, 2006)- History was made for the second straight day for Manhattan at the MAAC Swimming Championships, held on the Loyola College campus. Three more school records fell on the second of three days of competition, as the team upped its point total to 125, already its highest output at the MAAC Championships since the conference expanded to 10 members in the 1997-98 season.
Megan O'Keefe paced a great day of swimming for the Lady Jaspers, taking home Manhattan's first MAAC swimming medal with a sixth place finish in the 100 fly.
O'Keefe advanced to the Lady Jaspers' first individual final by breaking her own school record by more than half a second, posting a time of 1:01.18. In the final, she put even more distance between her and her previous best, touching in with a time of 1:00.94 to earn her a spot on the medal stand.
Courtney Arduini added even more points to the Manhattan total from the 100 fly, placing 12th with a time of 1:03.26.
The 800 free relay team of Arduini,
Nicole Mason,
Susie Mothes, and
Maura McGowan also produced a record setting performance, obliterating the previous school record by over 36 seconds, placing seventh with a time of 8:30.43. The previous record of 9:06.52 was set at the 2003 MAAC Championships.
The third school record was broken in the initial event of Day 2 at the MAAC Championships.
Sarah Szotak, Arduini, O'Keefe, and McGowan proved right away that the Lady Jaspers meant business, taking home seventh place in the 200 medley relay with a school record time of 1:56.87. The old mark of 1:57.64 was recorded at last year's MAAC Championships.
Manhattan also had multiple individual scorers in the 100 back, as Arduini narrowly missing her own school record (1:03.03) on her way to a 12th place finish in a time of 1:03.05, closely followed by Mason, who touched in 16th in a time of 1:04.74.
Four Lady Jaspers competed in the 1000 free, with Mothes placing 23rd in a time of 11:44.93,
Heather Kennedy touching 25th in a time of 11:59.06,
Anne Mohan placing 27th with a time of 12:44.30, and
Michelle LaTouche finishing 28th with a time of 12:48.04.
Manhattan's 125 points is just three behind Siena College (128 points) for seventh place. The meet concludes on Saturday.
