NEWMAC record, 200-yard IM title highlight Phillips’ weekend

Date: 2/27/2014

WORCESTER – East Longmeadow’s Callie Phillips was part of the Springfield College women’s swimming team’s first-place 800-yard freestyle relay team that set a conference and school record (7:34.02) as the Pride took second overall at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championships, which concluded on Feb. 23.

Phillips put the exclamation point on the winning time as she charged ahead in final lap to out touch Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the record and NCAA “B” cut standards.

Phillips also won an individual championship in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in 2:08.11, taking the lead in the second lap and never looking back. She beat the second place finisher by more than a second.

Christiana Greco of Wilbraham was also part of a relay that broke a school record along with Phillips, participating in the 400-yard freestyle relay that finished in 3:49.33 for first place. In a tight race, Greco knotted things up with MIT in the third leg, giving the Pride the opportunity to win.

Greco later captured her first individual conference championship in the 100 fly after registering an NCAA “B” cut of 56.90. She also placed fifth in the 200-yard butterfly (2:10.74).

Delaney Dyjak of Ludlow also achieved an NCAA “B” cut time after tying for third in 57.44 in the 100-yard butterfly and finished sixth in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.43.

Greco and Dyjak were also part of a third-place 200-medley relay team that captured an NCAA “B” time of 1:46.46.

Melanie Avdoulos of East Longmeadow finished in third place in 1-meter diving with a score of score of 446.75 and placed sixth on the three-meter board, posting a 445.00. Michael Normoyle of Springfield led the men’s swimming and diving team, which took fourth overall. The sophomore defended his title in the 200-yard breaststroke in thrilling fashion, registering a NCAA “B” cut time of 2:02.69 to win the race by a mere .09 seconds. He also swam to a second place finish in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing in 1:53.63 and also took second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 56.28. Both meet NCAA “B” cut standards.

Normoyle also swam on three top-five relay teams – a fifth place 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:26.46), a third place 400-yard freestyle relay team (3:27.15), and a 200-yard medley relay team that placed fifth in 1:35.49.

Mickiewicz’s strong Senior Day effort not enough

SPRINGFIELD – Ryan Mickiewicz of East Longmeadow netted 19 points for Western New England University (WNE), but the Golden Bears’ huge comeback attempt fell shy in a 69-60 men’s basketball loss to visiting Endicott College on Senior Day on Feb. 22.

Clements places 10th at New England Championships

CAMBRIDGE – Wilbraham’s Jacob Clements placed 10th in the high jump, clearing six feet, two inches for the Westfield State University men’s indoor track and field team at the New England Division III championships on Feb. 22 at MIT.

Ferrentino just misses double-double in AIC victory

SPRINGFIELD – Yellow Jacket junior Krista Ferrentino of East Longmeadow finished with 17 points and was a rebound away from her fourth double-double of the season as the American International College women’s basketball team took care of business on Feb. 22, winning a 75-62 decision over Le Moyne.

She also recorded 14 points and five boards in an 82-69 loss to New Haven on Feb. 19.

Welsh, Elms sweep Newbury

CHICOPEE – Senior setter Kevin Welsh of Wilbraham handed out 44 assists to pace the Elms College men’s volleyball team to a 3-0 (26-24, 29-27, 25-14) sweep of Newbury College on Feb. 22.

Along with the assists, Welsh added 10 digs.

Abad helps Springfield College to win in thriller

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Devin Abad of East Longmeadow, Mass., scored two goals and assisted another as the Springfield College men’s lacrosse team knocked off 10th ranked Nazareth on Feb. 22 by a score of 11-10, scoring two goals in the game’s final three minutes.

Pessolano scores 10 on Senior Day

SPRINGFIELD– Hampden’s Ali Pessolano scored 10 points in her final home game for the WNE women’s basketball team, but the Golden Bears fell to Endicott College 68-60 on Feb. 22.

Pessolano was one of five seniors who will graduate with a combined 3.45 grade point average.