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BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's swimming team is hoping to make a splash in the team's final event of the calendar year at the ECAC Championships from Friday December 1 to Sunday, December 3, held at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, N.Y.
This weekend will be the first appearance in the three day competition for the Blackbirds. Besides a second-straight opportunity to face a national caliber field at the ECAC meet, it will be a chance to preview the pool for LIU: the NCAC will also be the site of this year's Northeast Conference Championships in February.
"It will be a tremendous help to swim at ECACs this year," said LIU head coach Matt Donovan. "First off, off it's a great pool. It has hosted to NCAA's among other big meets in the past. Also, having this under our belt will take the X-factor out of the equation when it comes time for the NECs."
The Blackbirds have had the last two weeks off since the Frank Elm Invitational at Rutgers, where the team finished in 11th place overall, scoring 282 points in the three-day meet.
Just before Thanksgiving, first-year swimmer Jeanne Touchette-McGowan was named the NEC's Rookie of the Week. At the Frank Elm Invitational, she posted a pair of times in the 200 backstroke and 200 IM (2:07.33) that rank second on the NEC's 2017-18 top times list. Her 2:02.32 time in the 200 back was fractions of a second off the school record.
Team captain Milly Furneaux was also another top performer, as she took fifth place overall in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.24. She was recognized as an NEC Prime Performer following the meet. Junior Briana Vega also enjoyed a fifth-place finish in the 50 freestyle (23:45).
"Rutgers was a big test for us," continued Donovan. "We raced some of the best teams in the Northeast and stood tall – this will be another test."
"With that experience behind us, we go into this weekend with a great deal of confidence. This is a championship meet, and second only to the NEC meet – one of the most important meets on our schedule. We are putting our A lineup out in every race, and I know that our team will give it everything that they have."
After this weekend, the Blackbirds will break for finals and the holiday season, and resume competition on January 20 with a tri-meet at Monmouth University with St. Peter's University.