WESTWOOD, Mass. – The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) has announced its weekly awards and Mount Holyoke College student-athletes Jacqueline Park and Samantha Nemivant were recognized. It marks the first career honor for Park and the second of the season for Nemivant.
Park, who hails from Cambridge, Mass., was outstanding for the Lyons last weekend, helping MHC to a 156-143 victory over Smith College in dual meet action. She dominated in the backstroke events, winning the 100-yard event with a time of 1:03.37, followed by a 200-yard win – touching the wall in 2:16.96.
The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School graduate also won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:20.87. She opened the meet as the first leg of the 200-yard medley relay, helping the foursome to victory in a time of 1:57.66.
It has been a solid season for Park, who has recorded 10 finishes in the top-three. In addition to her outstanding performance against Smith, she helped the Lyons past Clark University after finishing fifth in the 200-IM, while powering the 400-free and 400-medley relays to first and third, respectively.
A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Nemivant won off both boards against the Pioneers. Off the 1-meter board, she recorded an NCAA Qualifying score of 268.05 points, followed by a victorious 256.50 points on the 3-meter. An exhibition 11-dive was also held in the 1-meter in which Nemivant notched the top score of 459.55 points. That mark was not only an NCAA Qualifying score, but also a new school record – eclipsing the previous mark of 436.25 points set in 2006.
It has been an outstanding effort through 11 meets for the former Notre Dame Prep standout, who has posted 19 victories during that span. She has won off both boards in seven of the team's 11 meets thus far. She finished second off the one-meter board in action at Hamilton College, posting a score of 239.30, against Vassar & Trinity Colleges with a mark of 230.45 points and at Simmons on the 3-meter with a mark of 240.10.
Last season, Nemivant was one of 29 female divers to compete in both the 1 and 3-meter diving events at the 2018 NCAA Division III National Swimming & Diving Championships, becoming the first Lyon since 2006's Lauren Griffin to compete at Nationals. She went on to earn 18th off the 1-meter and 20th in the 3-meter.
Mount Holyoke returns to action on Thursday, February 21 when it opens action at the 2019 NEWMAC Championships, hosted at WPI. Action at the meet runs through Sunday, February 24th.
