Freshman Hope Wiles

BALTIMORE – The Niagara University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both finished sixth Saturday night in the 2006 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship in the Fitness and Aquatic Center at Loyola College. The men’s team scored 313 points, seven points shy of fifth place, and the women moved up one spot from last year with 263 points.

Sophomore Pat Garvey (Pine Bush, N.Y.) broke his third school record of the championship when he swam a 46.71 in the preliminaries of the 100 free. He broke Jeff Scranton’s 1998 record with his morning swim and then posted a 46.78 in the finals to place fourth. Garvey finished the MAAC Championship with the 200 IM, 100 butterfly and the 100 free school records.

Freshman Allison Carr (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) also broke her own school record in the 200 breaststroke. Carr swam a 2:28.79 to finish second. Her previous mark was 2:32.80 set at Siena on Jan. 21.

Junior Dave Germain (Oswego, N.Y.) claimed fifth place for a second-straight year in one-meter diving. He posted 207.60 points in the event. Graduate student Emily Zimdahl (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) scored 271.35 points to place 10th in three-meter diving.

Rookie Hope Wiles (Baltimore, Md.) finished sixth in the 1650 free with a lifetime best 18:04.64.

In the 400 free relays, the women’s team placed seventh in 3:45.64 and the men’s team was fourth in 3:11.18.

Niagara finished the championship with six school records and 40 lifetime best swims.