VMI finishes Day Three of America East Championships

WORCESTER, Mass. – VMI set four new school records Saturday on the third day of the 2020 America East Conference swimming and diving championships, hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Sophomore Zach Emerson and freshman Jack Sheehan each broke individual marks and were part of a record-breaking relay team. Emerson swam a 50.23 in the 100-yard backstroke to finish fourth, while Sheehan took fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke in 56.94 and time trialed a new top program mark in the 400 IM in 4:04.65. The two joined with Andrew Mills and Ryan Schmitz to swim a 3:26.56 in the 400-yard medley relay.

Ryan Cooper finished eighth in the 400-yard IM in 4:09.89, while Andrew Mills (11^th - 52.62), James Fraser (13^th - 52.77) and Jacob Smilie (15^th - 52.82) each scored for VMI in the 100 fly. Schmitz was fourth in the 200 free in 1:42.91, while Connor Doyle (10^th - 1:44.92), Colin Gibbons (14^th - 1:49.78) and Thomas Muldowney (15^th - 1:54.12) earned points in the event. Nathan Hicks swam a 59.83 in the 100 breast preliminaries and took ninth in the finals and Jacob Smilie (eighth - 52.33) and Anno Kong (10^th - 52.47) each placed in the 100-back. Bridger Thurston was ninth in the 1-meter dive with a score of 177.95.   

Sophie Svoboda took 14^th in the women's 100 breaststroke in 1:07.26 and Sarah MacDougall swam a 2:02.71 in the 200 free. Olivia Bryant finished the 100-yard backstroke in 1:04.11. Bryant, Svoboda, Holly Hein and Isabella DeCosta finished the 400-medley relay in 4:37.81.

The final day of competition begins at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday with prelims in women's and men's 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, and 200-yard butterfly. The women's and men's 1650 free begins at 3:20 followed with the fastest heat in the finals. Finals begin at 5:30 p.m. and the competition and awards ceremony can be streamed live on AmericaEast.TV.

2020 America East Swimming & Diving Championships
Team Standings through Day 3 (28 events)
Women

1. New Hampshire (574 points)
2. UMBC (517.5)
3. Binghamton (365.5)
4. Vermont (363.5)
5. Maine (289)
6. Stony Brook (190.5)
7. VMI (105)

 
Men

1. UMBC (721 points)
2. Binghamton (601)
3. Maine (388)
4. VMI (309)