ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Matea Samardzic (Split, Croati/Ekonomsko-Birotehnicka Skola) finished third in the 500 free to pace the Saint Peter's women's swimming and diving team to a 10th-place standing at the first day of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday night.
Samardzic, the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Performer, placed third in the 500 free with a time of 4:51.96 to post the squad's top finish on the first day.
Marie Feneron (Molsheim, France/Lycee Henri Meck) also recorded a Top-5 standing with a fifth-place standing in the 500 free with a time of 2:04.80 while Anastasiia Mushtei (Dneiptopnovsh, Ukraine/Finans Deukomi) placed 16 in the 500 free with a time of 5:06.10.
Nicholas Riepe (Middlesex, N.J./Saint Joseph) paced the Peacocks men's swimming and diving team with a fifth-place standing in the 500 free with a time of 4:32.85. The men finished ninth after the first day of competition.
The quartet of Jonathan Gomez (Cali, Colombia/Patrick Henry [Va,]), Sean Dunne (Holmdel, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy), Manuel Garcia (Mexico City, Mexico/The American School Foundation) and Riepe placed sixth in the 400-medley relay with a time of 3:25.44.
Pittsburgh leads the women's side with 205 while Navy (161), Marist (153), Bucknell (123) and New Hampshire (80) round out the Top-5 teams. The Peacocks are tied for 10th with 31 points.
Marist paces the men's side with 176 points while Navy (170), Binghamton (157), Columbia (129) and Pittsburgh (127) round out the Top-5 teams. Saint Peter's sits in ninth place with 40 points.
Day two in the Maryland state capital begins at the ECAC Championships for the Peacocks with the men's quartet attempting to qualify in the 200-medley relay. Feneron and Christina Petrelis (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery) will follow in the 400 IM. After Dunne competes in the 100 breast, Samardic and Gomez wrap up the preliminaries on Saturday in the 100 back. Finals begin at 6 p.m.
