PRIDE HOST YEAR-END TEAM BANQUET

WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College swimming & diving team recently held an end of the year team banquet on the Regis campus last Saturday, April 20. Head coach James Sweeney honored several team members with individual awards, which included Most Improved Player, Coach's Award, and Most Valuable Player. Additionally, Sweeney named team captains for next season.

Freshman Brenna Melanson (Reading, Mass.) and sophomore Alex Graf (Newton, Mass.) earned the Most Valuable Player awards for the women's team and men's team, respectively.

Melanson had a standout rookie campaign, as she broke numerous records en route to qualifying for the ECAC Championships. She broke five Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) records at the conference championships and won the 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, and 100 Backstroke events. At the New England Championships, Melanson placed among the top ten finishers in seven different events, highlighted by a second place finish in the 100 Freestyle.

Graf also had a stellar season in the pool, ultimately swimming his way into the Regis record books. The sophomore won three individual events and broke five GNAC records at the conference championships, while also setting a new school record in the 200 Individual Medley. At New England's, Graf won and set a school record in the 50 Fly. He also finished in the top five in the 50 & 100 Freestyle, while his 100 Free time also set a new school mark. Graf closed out the season by qualifying for the ECAC Championships, where he broke the school record in the 400 Individual Medley.

Earning the team's Most Improved Player awards were junior Jane Nguyen (Dorchester, Mass.) and sophomore Greg Sarantakis (Lowell, Mass.).

Nguyen consistently improved throughout the season, shaving off time in events nearly every time she competed. Only in her second year, Sweeney has high hopes that she will continue to develop as a swimmer.

Sarantakis earned the MIP honor after qualifying as a member of the 200 Freestyle Relay at ECAC's and putting in lifetime best times in 11 different events this year. Sweeney praised the junior for his hard work all season, saying that he would always put in the extra effort to make himself a better swimmer.

The Coach's Award went to seniors Megan Pratt (Rockland, Mass.) on the women's side and Nick Yerzyk (West Hills, Calif.) on the men's side.

When asked about Pratt, Sweeney explained that "After finishing her volleyball season, she had an immediate impact on our team. She swam extremely well in her sprint freestyle and butterfly events, and was a member of several of our relays. She worked extremely hard and had a great attitude."

Sweeney also added that "Nick finished up his senior year in tremendous fashion being a vital member of our relays and through the season broke 2 school records - 100 fly and 200 back. He also qualified for the ECAC championships."

Following the awards, Sarantakis and junior Megan Kennelly (Milford, Mass.) were announced as team captains for the upcoming 2013-2014 season.

"Both Meg and Greg are extremely dedicated to our team and very excited to lead our team. In just one year we have made so many improvements, I look forward to their leadership to continue to bring our team up into the higher levels not only in training and at competitions, but also with the team aspect which is a very important part of our current and future success," said Sweeney.