EAST MEADOW, N.Y.- The LIU Brooklyn women's swimming team finished the weekend with a flourish, taking fourth place at the ECAC Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, N.Y.
Junior Milly Furneaux led the way on Sunday, a championship title in the 200 yard breaststroke. Freshmen
Jeanne Touchette-McGowan and
Amanda Peren earned silver and bronze in the 200 backstroke, before teaming up with
Noemie Lacroix-Moreau and
Briana Vega to take third place in the 400 freestyle relay to close out the meet.
The Blackbirds consistently moved up in the event standings as well, slotting tenth after day one, seventh after the second day, and finishing fourth with 640.5 points in the final tally in the team's first ECAC Championship appearance.
"This is exactly what this team needed going into the break," said head coach
Matt Donovan. "We know that we can be highly successful in a championship meet format. Every swimmer that got up on the block this weekend contributed. The team learned a great deal about itself these past few days, and now we know exactly what we need to do to have a successful NEC Championship meet in February."
Coming off her silver medal performance the night before in the 100, Furneaux took the top spot in the 200 breaststroke on Sunday in 2:19.44 The mark is her season best by nearly two seconds.
"I can't say enough good things about Milly and what she means to this team," said Donovan. "She has been the cornerstone of what this team is built on. She deserves every accolade she gets and this gold is just proof that hard work and dedication pays off."
In the first event on Sunday, the freshmen duo of Touchette-McGowan (2:04.03) and Peren (2:04.89) slotted in second and third place respectively in the 200 backstroke.
The silver medal 400 medley relay of Touchette-McGowan, Lacroix-Moreau, Peren and Vega also set a new season best by the foursome in 3:32.11.
QUICK LAPS
- Lacroix-Moreau also finished fourth in the 200 butterfly (2:06.90).
- Vega and Peren finished fifth and seventh, respectively in the 100 freestyle, in 51.98 and 52.52.
- Freshman Avery Vernon had her best individual finish, placing 18th in 200 breaststroke in 2:29.52.
- The Blackbirds return to East Meadow in Februrary, for the 2018 Northeast Conference Championship meet, which will also be held at the Nassau County Aquatic Center. LIU resumes action in 2018, with a tri-meet January 20, taking on Monmouth and Saint Peter's in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.