Swimming and diving team wins home dual meet against University of New England

Sophie Simon notched an NCAA Regionals qualifying score in 3-meter diving as Mount Holyoke hosted the University of New England on Nov. 5, 2022. (RJB Sports file photo)

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Mount Holyoke College divers Maddy Sewell and Sophie Simon both delivered qualifying scores for NCAA Regionals, as the Lyons picked up a dual-meet win over the University of New England Saturday afternoon in the MHC Natatorium.

Mount Holyoke outscored the visiting Nor'easters 157-100, evening their head-to-head record at 1-1 following last Saturday's loss to Division II Stonehill.

Sewell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) notched her second qualifying score for NCAA Regionals on the 1-meter diving board, guaranteeing her a place at the regional championships in March. Sewell scored 257.10 points in 1-meter diving and 261.85 points at 3 meters.

Meanwhile, Simon (Menlo Park, Calif.) notched her first qualifying score at 3 meters, taking her halfway to ultimately also competing at regionals. Simon scored 270.00 points on the 3-meter board, as well as 237.50 points in 1-meter diving.

Mount Holyoke began the day well, with a 5.29-second victory in the 200-yard medley relay for the Lyons' A team, comprising junior Adji Diouf (Arlington, Va.), sophomore Megan Schneider (Newton, Mass.), first-year Carolina Loayza (Fort Myers, Fla.), and first-year Ruth Bailey (Edison, N.J.), who finished in 1:59.33.

Other top-two event finishes for Mount Holyoke included:

Sophomore Callie Yosick (Portland, Ore.) won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:06.58, and the 50-yard freestyle in 26.42 seconds.
Loayza also won the 100-yard butterfly by a margin of more than 5 seconds, in a time of 1:02.25, and the 50 butterfly, in 28.34 seconds. Loayza also took second place in the 100 free (58.52).
Schneider also took first place in the 50-yard breaststroke (34.31) and second place in the 100 breast (1:15.05).
Junior Eliza Williams (Andover, Mass.) took first place in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:09.45, by a margin of 0.46 seconds over UNE's Elli Donovan. Williams later won the 500-yard freestyle by a 16.97-second margin, in 5:46.80.
Senior captain Anais Magner (Whakatane, New Zealand) won the 200 backstroke (2:28.03) and placed second in the 100 back (1:07.63).
Sophomore Lauren Madsen (Ghent, N.Y.) placed second in the 50 breast (36.05).
Bailey also won the 100-yard freestyle (58.22) and placed second in the 50 free (27.30).
Senior Lauren Leese (Round Rock, Texas) took second place in the 200 backstroke (2:30.57).
Diouf, sophomore Evelyn Bushway (Schenectady, N.Y.), Schneider and Yosick recorded the fastest time of the day in the 200-yard freestyle relay, at 1:47.66.