Feb. 15, 2008

ORONO - The Boston University swimming and diving program holds the lead after the first night of the 2008 America East Swimming & Diving Championships at University of Maine's Aquatic Center on Thursday.

On the men's side, the Terriers lead the four-time defending conference champions with 118 points as UMBC follows with 103 points. In a close third is Binghamton with 99 points, followed by fourth place Stony Brook (84) and fifth place Maine (69).

The Boston women (125) lead the way followed by New Hampshire (100), and last year's conference champions, UMBC (84) in third. In fourth place is Binghamton (82), while Maine (73), Vermont (69), and Stony Brook (50) round out the seven-team field.

On Day 1 of competition conference records were shattered all around. Boston University's 800-freestyle relay of Brigette O'Shaughnessy, Clara Van Allen, Lisa Young, and Eve Kinsella won the event in a blazing time of 7:26.41 breaking the previous meet record of 7:30.14 set by UMBC in 2007. In women's diving, Tess Waresmith of Boston University won the 3-meter event with a score of 268.60.

In the 200-medley relay the Terrier team of Jeff Wurm, Eric Carlson, Matt Rickett, and Arik Seiler won the event in a time of 1:31.86 just missing the conference record by .44 tenths of a second. In men's diving, Boston's Andre Watson won the men's 1-meter with a score of 335.65.