Baby steps? That's what you might expect from a fledgling collegiate swim program.
But the University of New England women's swimming and diving program took giant leaps this past season.
The Nor'easters, in just their second year as a varsity program, recently finished sixth in the New England championships, a competition that included not only Division III programs, but Division II teams as well.
UNE scored 389 points, led by freshman Courtney Burdick, who had a first, second and third. Bentley College led the women's results with 995 points.
"How have we done it?" said Coach Kate Mulholland, after being asked how the second-year program made such a big splash in the region's biggest meet. "I'd say through hard work, excitement and confidence. There was a belief that we could get in the pool and swim with everyone else that was at that meet. And we did."
After the meet, Mulholland was named Coach of the Year.
"We set goals at the beginning of the year," she said. "And everyone worked hard, did their part."
The Nor'easters, who finished a respectable 13th at the New Englands in their first varsity year, made huge strides because of a deep and talented freshman class, headed by Burdick. She won the 50 freestyle in 25.25 seconds, was second in the 100 backstroke in 1:01.89 and third in the 100 IM in 1:03.51.
"She's confident but quietly so," said Mulholland. "She really loves to swim and I think that's what makes her so fast."
She had plenty of help. UNE sent eight women and four men to the New Englands. Of those, five women and three men were freshmen.
That youth not only infused the Nor'easters with talent - Ali Wagner had a third and two sevenths in the New Englands, Erica Johnson had a fifth and and an eighth - but sets a strong foundation for the future.
"They all became friends early on in the season," said Mulholland. "And they formed a good chunk of the team. They immediately came in and . . . over the last two years, we've had people who have come in and became part of creating the tradition and starting the rituals instead of coming into something that's already happened for 30, 40 years, where freshmen can feel hidden in all that (tradition).
"(The freshmen) feel like they're a part of it. It's their team."
The success has two sides to it, of course. Mulholland, who is the aquatics director at UNE, is hoping that prospective students will look at UNE's results and want to be part of the program. She also knows that the Nor'easters, who finished 10-3 in Commonwealth Coast Conference dual meets, won't be sneaking up on anyone any more.
"That's all right," she said. "There's something to be said for setting the standard and trying to better it every year. That's our challenge now."
OF NOTE: UMaine-Farmington junior center Kari Simpson of Wells was named the most valuable player of the North Atlantic Conference women's basketball tournament. She averaged 27.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in helping the Beavers earn a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. She scored a career-high 41 points in the semifinals and then added 18 points and eight rebounds in a 65-63 upset of Maine Maritime Academy in the title game. Earlier in the week, Simpson was named to the All-North Atlantic Conference first team for the third consecutive year. Simpson led UMF in scoring (17.2 points per game), rebounding (8.7), steals (77), blocked shots (38), 3-pointers (38) and free-throw percentage (.879). She had 11 double-doubles on the season and scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games (scoring nine points in each of the other four games).
University of Southern Maine freshman wing Kyle Smith of Auburn was recently named the ECAC men's East Rookie of the Week for the second time this season.
Two local athletes at New England College in Henniker, N.H., will be inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society this spring. Junior Megan Leo of South Portland plays lacrosse and senior Katie Hanken of Hiram (Sacopee Valley) played field hockey. Chi Alpha Sigma recognizes college students who receive a varsity letter while maintaining a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher in their junior and senior years.
Southern Maine Community College freshman Erica Davis of Cumberland (Greely High) was named the women's basketball Player of the Year in the Yankee Small College Conference. Davis, a 5-foot-10 forward, averaged 19.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 steals for the Seawolves, who won the YSCC championship. She was joined on the YSCC first team by sophomore center Elizabeth Ouellette of Lyman (Massabesic). Ouellette averaged 11.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. SMCC's Amanda Rogerson was named YSCC Coach of the Year, leading the Seawolves to a 20-5 record in her second year. SMCC was 10-13 in her first year.
Bates College senior Kathleen Nugent of Buxton (Bonny Eagle) was part of two school records set by the Bobcats in the open New England track championships last weekend at Boston University. Nugent set a Bates record in the pentathlon with 3,220 points, 19 points better than Jennifer Kettle earned in 1981. Nugent was third in the pentathlon. She also ran a leg on the Bobcats' record-setting 1,600 relay team that ran a 4:00.19 - 6.51 seconds faster than the previous record set in 1990.
Bowdoin College senior Justine Pouravelis of Old Orchard Beach (McAuley) and sophomore Marisa Berne of Falmouth (McAuley) were named women's basketball co-Players of the Week for their performances in the NESCAC championships. They combined for 20 points in the semifinals. Then Berne scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds, and Pouravelis had 10 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals in the championship victory over Bates.
The University of Southern Maine had an impressive showing in the open New England track championships. The men's team set three school records: freshman Jimmy Sawyer of Gorham ran the 400 meters in 49.17 seconds, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division III championship; junior Derek Murchie of Windham ran the 200 meters in 22.74 seconds; the 1,600 relay team of Murchie, freshman Greg Cannon of Sanford, sophomore Forrest Tobie of Mt. Vernon and Sawyer finished in 3:24.43. The women's track team also set three records: junior Melissa Bellemore of Manchester, N.H., set a school record in the pole vault in 3.60 meters (11 feet, 9 3/4 inches), to finish fifth and earn All-New England honors; senior Sara Marzouk of Wilder, Vt., ran the mile in 5:03.72, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA meet; and the distance medley relay team of freshman Stephanie Jette of Lovell, sophomore Pam Yomoah of Auburn, sophomore Sara Cannon of Sanford and Marzouk finished in 12:24.09.
KEEPING TABS: Junior Barrett Roberts of Portland (Deering) had a spectacular showing for Wheaton College in last weekend's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference championship swim meet, qualifying for the NCAA Division III championships in two events, setting two individual school records and swimming legs on four school record-setting relay teams. Roberts set school records in the 50-yard freestyle (20.73 seconds) and the 100 free (45.52 seconds in the trials). Roberts won both events, rallying from 0.21 seconds behind over the last 25 yards to win the 100 in 45.87. He was also on the record-setting 200 medley relay team (that included Ellsworth's Matt Jordan and Belfast's Matt Hurley), which finished in 1:34.74, and the 200 free relay team (that included Jordan), which finished in 1:24.75. Both of those relay teams met the NCAA provisional qualifying times. Roberts swam the anchor legs on the 400 free relay (3:10.28) and the 400 medley relay (3:31.07), both of which set school records. Roberts will compete in the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free in the NCAA championships March 16-18 at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. The relay teams are awaiting word whether they qualify.
Junior Joanna Kinsman of Fryeburg is a captain of the University of New Hampshire women's Nordic ski team and qualified to compete in the NCAA Nordic championships. Competing in the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association championships last weekend, Kinsman finished 15th in the 15K freestyle in 52:46.6 - one of three Wildcats in the top 20 - and 11th in the 5K, finishing in 16:22.2. UNH placed fourth at the championships.
Roger Williams University sophomore Jon Plummer of Biddeford recently earned All-New England honors in the New England Division II/III swimming and diving championships. Plummer finished fifth in the 100 fly and was part of three relay teams (the 400 free, 200 medley and 200 free) that finished in the top six in their events. To earn All-New England status, you had to finish in the top six.
Boston University junior Megan White of Falmouth recently placed in both diving events at the America East swimming and diving championships. White was fourth in the 3-meter with a score of 441.15 and sixth on the 1-meter with a score of 235.15.
Sophomore Page Beecher of Scarborough is the leading swimmer on the Alfred (N.Y.) University men's swimming and diving team. Competing in the freestyle and IM events, Beecher has had 16 first-place finishes and three second-place finishes in his individual events for the 7-1 Saxons. He has also swam on five first-place relay teams. Freshman Brian Agro of Gray (Cheverus High) is also contributing to the Saxons' success. Swimming the breast stroke, he has had seven firsts, five seconds, four thirds and a fourth.
Junior forward Jeff Holmes of Westbrook (Cheverus) scored 10 points and had nine rebounds to help the Bentley College's men's basketball team to an 82-56 rout of Merrimack College in the Northeast-10 quarterfinals Monday night. Holmes had finished the regular season as the Falcons' third-leading scorer (12.5 points per game) and led the conference in offensive rebounds with 96.
Sophomore Liz Quinn of Lyman (Massabesic) was one of the 13 Washington College field hockey players named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Division III Academic squad. Students must have had a 3.30 GPA through the first semester of the 2005 season to be eligible.
Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:
mlowe@pressherald.com
