Rose Eclipses 200 Backstroke Mark to Lead Swimming & Diving at NEISDA Championships

SOUTH KINGSTON, R.I. – Freshman Jameson Rose (Somerset, Mass.) eclipsed the school record in the 200 backstroke and earned All-NEISDA honors to lead the Bridgewater State University men's and women's swimming and diving teams during day one of the 2016 New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association (NEISDA) Division II/III Championships held at the University of Rhode Island on Friday.

Rose posted a preliminary time of 1:54.01 in the backstroke as he broke Kyle Swardstrom's previous mark of 1:59.20 set just last season. Rose finished second in the event with a finals time of 1:56.03. The top eight place-winners in each individual event garner All-NEISDA status.

Rose also earned an automatic qualifier to the upcoming ECAC Division III Championships with his preliminary time in the backstroke. Earlier this season, he provisionally qualified for the ECACs in the 100 backstroke.

Sophomore Max Medina (Marion, Mass.) and seniors David Elofson (Mansfield, Mass.) and Eric Ford (Oakville, Conn.) also garnered All-NEISDA accolades for the Bears.

Medina placed eighth in the 200 backstroke with a finals time of 2:05.71, while Elofson finished third in the one-meter diving competition with a finals score of 311.01 points. Ford rounded out BSU's All-NEISDA performers as he placed fifth in the 50-breaststroke with a finals time of 28.41.

The men's squad is currently in seventh place with 111 team points following the first day of competition. Keene State College sits atop the standings with 329 points followed by Roger Williams University (237.5 pts.) and Norwich University (209 pts.).

The BSU women's team is in 14th place after day one with 66.5 points. Roger Williams leads the way with 551 points while Keene State (531 pts.) is in second place and Simmons College (379 pts.) is in third.

Sophomore Abbie Grant (Mansfield, Mass.) finished 15th overall in the 100 butterfly with a finals time of 1:05.02. Grant also posted a preliminary time of 1:04.66.

The Bears' 200 freestyle relay squad featuring Grant, classmate Shae Aiguier (Braintree, Mass.), senior Michaela Pereira (Rehoboth, Mass.) and freshman Nicole Moneghan (Lincoln, R.I.) posted a finals time of 1:47.56 to place 11th.

The three-day championship event continues on Saturday morning with the preliminary round getting underway at ten.