SOMERSET, NJ — Three-time Northeast Conference women’s swimming and diving champion Saint Francis University will look to win its fourth title in 2013, as the Red Flash were picked by the league’s head coaches in the preseason poll to win the championship once again.
The defending champions received five first-place votes in the preseason poll, while Bryant and Wagner tied for the second spot with one first-place vote each. Central Conn. State was fourth and Mount St. Mary’s was fifth, followed by St. Francis (N.Y.) and Sacred Heart in the sixth and seventh spots.
“It always feels good to be recognized by your peers, but there is a long season and a lot of work ahead of us to get to where we have set our sights,” said SFU head coach Patrick Gallagher. “You don’t get any points at the conference meet for your position in the pre-season poll.”
“The coaches in the league continue to raise the bar and the NEC has become stronger as a swimming and diving conference every year,” Gallagher continued. “The NEC has gotten to a point where this is a destination conference for swimming recruits around the country.”
Saint Francis captured the NEC title by a single point over runner-up Central Conn. State, after trailing the first three days of the meet. A 55-point effort in the 100 butterfly and third place in the last event, the 400 free relay, helped seal the victory. Red Flash swimmers won nine out of 20 events, including three relays.
Junior Elise Löfgren (Molnlycke, Sweden/Hulebacks), who won three individual events, including the 200 breaststroke in record-breaking fashion, and was a member of all three winning relays, will lead the Red Flash in their hopes for another title. Other key returnees include Libby Francis (Dundee, Scotland/Grove Academy), the 100 fly champion, Alicia Ford (Whitney Point, N.Y./Whitney Point), who won the 100 freestyle, and Megan Collins (Monroeville, Pa./Oakland Catholic), who captured the 1650 freestyle title.
The Red Flash had eight total swimmers earn All-NEC honors, with six taking a spot on the first team. They also set new NEC marks in the 200 and 400 medley relays, and the 800 free relay.
The 2013 NEC Championships will be held from Feb. 27 to March 2 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
