Swimming and Diving

Bridgeport Men Impress on First Day of NE10 Swimming & Diving Championship

Pair of Broken Records on Thursday Night.

WORCESTER, Mass. - In its first year of competition in the Northeast 10 Conference Swimming & Diving Championship, the Bridgeport men's program got out to a record-breaking start - marking a memorable and emotional night at the WPI Sports & Recreation Center. 

Prior to the start of competition, a moment of silence was held for Tim Quill, the longtime head coach at Southern Connecticut who passed away on Tuesday. Quill led the Owls to 34 NE10 Championship titles during his 28 years at the helm for both the men's and women's swimming & diving programs. He was named NE10 Coach of the Year on 28 occasions. 

Bridgeport, one of two NE10 newcomers on the men's side (joining Felician), broke a pair of records on Thursday night in the 800 Free Relay and 1000 Free. The Bridgeport relay of Sultanbek Azat, Ignacy Olownia, Matt Burrows and Pacome Sidelski swam to a time of 6:40.55 in the 800 Free Relay, while Azat dominated in the 1000 Free with a time of 9:19.71, beating the previous record by nearly seven seconds and achieving an NCAA B-Cut.

Bridgeport leads in the team standings with 114 points, while Bentley is second with 83 and Southern Connecticut is third with 77.

On the women's side, reigning champion Southern Connecticut got off to a fast start with a win in the 800 free relay - as Jasmine Uricchio, Kali Dominguez, Paola Castillo and Molly Kennedy swam to a time of 7:39.40. Bentley's Taylor White won gold in the 1000 Free (10:32.14), while Southern Connecticut's Castillo and Sierra DuCharme finished second and third. 

Southern Connecticut earned 127 points and sits in first place, with Bentley in second with 104 and Felician in third with 64.

The second day of the NE10 Championship begins Friday morning at 10:15 a.m. with prelims. Watch all the action on FloCollege. 

RECORDS
Men's 800 Free Relay - Bridgeport (S. Azat, I. Olownia, M. Burrows, P. Sidelski) - 6:40.55*
*NE10 Championship and Open record

Men's 1000 Free - Sultanbek Azat (Bridgeport) - 9:19.71*
*NE10 Championship and Open record

TEAM STANDINGS (MEN)
1) Bridgeport - 114
2) Bentley - 83
3) Southern Connecticut - 77
4) Saint Michael's - 72
5) Adelphi - 63
6) Pace - 40
7) Staten Island - 34
8) Assumption - 26

TEAM STANDINGS (WOMEN)
1) Southern Connecticut - 127
2) Bentley - 104
3) Felician - 64
4) Pace - 56
5) Bridgeport - 51
6) Saint Michael's - 42
7) Adelphi - 33
8) Staten Island - 32
9) Assumption - 24

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.