Simard Breaks One-Meter Diving Mark in Win Over UMass Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Freshman Cailey Simard (Haverhill, Mass.) broke a 14-year old school record on the one-meter diving board to lead the visiting Bridgewater State University women's swimming & diving team to a 169.50-69.50 victory over UMass Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon at the Tripp Athletic Center.

Simard posted a first-place score of 272.05 points on the one-meter board as she broke BSU Hall of Famer (and Bears' diving coach) Jennfer Jackson's 2008 mark for a six-dive event of 263.05 points. Simard also captured top honors at the meet on the three-meter plank with a season-best score of 249.45 points.

Simard achieved one of two required qualifying standards for the NCAA Division III Championships on the one-meter board.

Graduate student Alexa Wilson (Centerville, Mass.) finished second on both boards as she posted a score of 247.65 points in the one-meter competition, and a career-best mark of 210.70 points in the three-meter.

The Bears placed first in 11 of the 13 events at the meet.

The foursome of senior Makayla Paquin (North Easton, Mass.), freshman Emily Bradford (Pittsfield, Mass.), junior Olivia Ranck (Wilbraham, Mass.) and senior Danielle Vissering (North Andover, Mass.) opened the day with a victory in the 200 medley relay (2:04.99).

Paquin, Ranck, Vissering and sophomore Brynn Murray (Chelmsford, Mass.) would later close out the meet with a win in the 200 freestyle relay as the quartet posted a time of 1:50.00.

Murray added a pair of first-place performances in the 200 freestyle (2:11.49) and the 100 backstroke (1:07.57), while Ranck captured top honors in the 100 butterfly (1:07.27), Bradford placed first in the 500 freestyle (5:55.53), and Vissering was the first to touch the wall in the 50 freestyle (27.48).

The Bears also received individual wins from sophomore Brianna Matte (Cumberland, R.I.) in the 1,000 freestyle (12:13.95), and classmate Olivia Pelletier (East Kingston, N.H.) in the 100 freestyle (59.09).

The Bears are off until Saturday, December 3rd when they host the BSU Invitational at noon.