Garcia Captures 1-M Crown, Cougars In Fifth After Day One

Wellesley, Mass. - Sophomore Eileen Garcia (New York, N.Y.) posted a school-record 464.75 on the one-meter diving board to claim the first NEWMAC crown of her career and several other school records fell on the first day of the women's swimming and diving conference championship being held at Wellesley College.

With Garcia leading the way, the Cougars sit in fifth-place after first day of events. Her exploits aside, Clark broke four other school records en route to their place in the standings.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Dana Akerfelds (Bronxville, N.Y.), Maura Houghton (Stoneham, Mass.), Erin Smith (Carrollton, Texas) and Corri Stewart (Avon, Conn.) set a new school mark with a time of 1:39.99, as they finished fourth in the finals of the event.

Liz Rosen (North Attleboro, Mass.) turned in a fifth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle and set a new school record with a time of 5:13.18  shaving nearly four seconds off of a record established during the 1980-81 season by Maggie Crowell.

Smith was part of two school-records coming down on the day as she registered a new mark with a time of 2:14.13 in the 200 IM.

The 400 Medley Relay of Stewart, Houghton, Rosen and Emily Newton (East Lyme, Conn.) established a new mark with their seventh place finish with a time of 4:11.73.

Houghton, who had an eventful day, also just missed setting a new school mark in the 50-yard freestyle when she posted a time of 24.98, less than a tenth of a second off of Mindy Craig's 24.89 time set back in 1996-97.

Despite capturing only one of six titles on the first day Springfield leads the field with a score of 293. MIT trails with 213 points, while Wheaton follows in third with a score of 153.

Tomorrow's prelims begin at 11:00 a.m., with the finals beginning at 6:30 p.m.