WALTHAM, Mass. – Competing at home for the final time, senior Nadine Edwards (Danbury, Conn./Danbury HS) won two individual events and anchored the winning 400 medley relay team to lead the Bentley University women's swimming team to a 151-123 Senior Night win over Bridgewater State University Thursday night at the Dana Center.
Edwards combined with classmate Kaitlin Simoneau (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South HS), junior Kelly Culkin (Avon, Conn./Avon HS) and sophomore Laura Schlenker (Wheaton, Ill./ Wheaton Warrenville South HS) for a winning time of 4:29.32 in the 400 medley.
Edwards went right back in the pool to lead the first of five 1-2-3 Falcon sweeps, this one coming in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:01.85. Later, in her final Dana Center competitive swim, she captured the 500 free in 5:31.26.
Six-time Northeast-10 Conference Women's Diver of the Week Paige Wilde (Naugatuck, Conn./Holy Cross HS) swept the diving with scores of 282.25 (one-meter) and 276.10 (three-meter).
The other seniors who posted individual wins were Danielle Hellstern (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug HS) and Simoneau. Hellstern took the 50 free in 26.33 and later followed her younger sister, Nicole, into the pool to help Bentley win the 400 free relay in 3:57.88. That relay also included Simoneau, who earlier won the 100 free in 1:00.10.
Other double-winners for the Falcons was junior Meg Pernsteiner (Highland Heights, Ohio/ Hawken School) and freshman Emily Niemiec (Meriden, Conn./Francis T. Maloney HS). Pernsteiner recorded winning times of 1:06.46 and 2:19.45 in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Niemiec's wins came in the 200 breaststroke (2:34.44) and 200 individual medley (215.52).
Sophomore Kaitlin McGahie (Boylston/Tahanto Reg. HS) posted Bentley's fastest time of the season (1:10.99) while winning the 100 breaststroke. Freshman Anne Warren (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron HS) touched first in the 200 butterfly (2:18.95) and junior Melissa Clauss (Oakland, N.J./Bergen County Academies) won the 100 fly in 1:04.55.
Bentley, which completed its dual schedule at 7-4, will next compete in the Northeast-10 Conference Championships Feb. 5-8 at Southern Connecticut State.
