The University of Maine men’s and women’s track and field teams visited UMass Amherst for a pre-conference meet. Both the men’s and women’s teams placed seventh, collecting 65.75 and 28.5 points, respectively.

On the men’s side, second-year Simon Powhida finished in first place in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:45.11.

Fourth-year Asaad Hicks tied with three others for second place in the high jump. Hicks’ height of 1.91 meters was beaten only by fourth-year Gilberto Brown of UMass Lowell, who jumped 2.02 meters.

In the 5000-meter run, third-year Joshua Horne excelled with third place finished and a time of 15:12.19.

In the discus throw, Maine picked up some points with third and fourth place finishes by fourth-year Shane Corbett and first-year Jacob Stanko. Corbett threw for 46.84 meters, while Stanko was right behind him, with 45.07 meters.

Third-year Jeremy Frantz picked up some early points for Maine in the shot put. His distance of 15.18 meters was good for fourth place.

The 1500-meter run proved favorable for third-year Jacob Johns, who finished fourth with a time of 3:57.12. He was only five seconds behind the first place finisher, fourth-year Joe Gioielli of Central Connecticut State University.

First-year Erick Seekins placed fifth in the long jump, with his flight of 6.47 meters.

Fourth-year Shane Corbett placed sixth in the hammer throw, launching his projectile a distance of 48.13 meters.

Third-year Isaac Yeboah placed seventh in the 400-meter hurdle with a time of 56.11.

Second-year Tucker Corbett placed ninth out of 29 in the 800-meter run. His time of 1:57.38 was only three seconds behind first-year Michael Thurston of Dartmouth, who placed first.

After the men’s action cleared up, Dartmouth had taken first overall with 159 points. UMass Amherst finished second with 144.25 points.

On the women’s side, fourth-year Ashley Donohoe earned some early points for Maine in the shot put, throwing a distance of 12.33 meters.

Second-year Taylor Lenentine reached a height of 3.10 meters in the pole vault. Third-year Lyndsi Ross-Trevor of Dartmouth won the event with a jump of 3.25 meters.

In 400-meter dash, first-year Elisabeth Redwood beat 12 other runners, finishing fifth with a time of 58.42.

A total of 31 runners competed in the 800-meter run and first-year Tiffany Tanner placed eighth among them, with a time of 2:15.98.

First-year Brittany Torchia finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles.

Maine excelled in the 4×400 meter relay, placing second with a time of 4:02.15, less than one second behind first place finisher Dartmouth.

At the end of the day, UMass Amherst collected the most points with 193. New Hampshire was second with 137.50 points and Dartmouth was third with 106 points, respectively.

Up next for the track and field teams is the America East Conference meet. The meet will take place over two days, next weekend at UNH in Durham, N.H.

If you followed the Boston Bruins this year, you probably experienced joy, confusion, amazement and then, finally, heartbreak. The B’s finished 13th overall in the league, seventh in the East and third in the Atlantic Division to make it to the postseason for the first time in three years.

Boston went 44-31 this season (23-17-1 at home) and since the replacement of Head Coach Claude Julien by his assistant Bruce Cassidy, the Bruins expected to make a deep playoff run. Since the changing of the guard on Feb. 7, the Bruins ranked first in the NHL in goals per game (3.37) and shots allowed (741). They also tied for second in the NHL for wins (18) and in power play percentage (27.8 percent).

Their success was cut short in the first round of the playoffs by the Ottawa Senators, who beat the Bruins in six games, four of which were decided in overtime. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two teams were separated by one goal 90.9 percent of the entire series. A lucky bounce here or there could have been the deciding factor for the Bruins advancing to face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Unfortunately, the Bruins couldn’t figure out how to replace Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo, two of their most stalwart defensemen. David Krejci, one of Boston’s top producers at forward (54 points), was also out with an upper-body injury. Ultimately, inexperience proved to be the most devastating crux, as 11 of the Bruins’ skaters made their Stanley Cup Playoff debut. Centerpiece defenseman Charlie McAvoy, captain Zdeno Chara’s partner, was fresh off a season with Boston University and had no NHL game experience when he was called up for game one of the playoffs. The inexperience cost the Bruins some untimely penalties, which lead to some unfavorable results.

On the bright side, inexperience does not last long and since it may be a short-term problem, the Bruins are poised to excel in the 2017-18 season. McAvoy averaged 26:11 minutes of play in the postseason series, where he tallied three assists. David Pastrnak, who accrued a career-high of 70 points, had never played in the postseason either. This is valuable experience for a team that relied heavily on veterans like Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the regular season.

With Bruce Cassidy accepting the position as head coach for the indefinite future, the Bruins seek to unlock some of the creativity that led to their second-half success in the regular season. It’s a fast game dominated by youth and inventiveness. Look at the NHL’s top scorers; 18 rookies posted 30 points or more and nine of the top 25 point leaders are under 25 years of age. The Bruins need to cultivate talent from the Providence Bruins, who placed seventh this year in the AHL with multiple 50-point scorers and create a strong depth chart to support the hard work of their veterans. Even though the Bruins did not achieve that storybook ending New England has become used to, this season was a harbinger for the good things to come.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams visited Holy Cross for their multi-event meet both Wednesday and Thursday the week of April 17. The men competed in the decathlon, a 10-discipline event, while the women participated in the heptathlon comprising seven events. Both events took place over two days, with points awarded based on performance rather than placement. Athletes are given 30 minutes of rest between events so the decathlon and heptathlon are not only trials of athleticism, but of endurance as well.

On the men’s side, second-year Dennis Peary of UMass Lowell took first place with a finish worth a total of 6,280 points. His pole vault height reached 11’11” which is an improvement over his previous personal best of 11’3.75”. Peary’s javelin throw (166’1.7”) was also an improvement over his previous best of 163’3”. He had a personal best in four other events and won the shot put with a toss of 41’5.75”.

Maine’s third-year Garrett Johnson finished second in the decathlon, with his total of 5,935 points. Johnson garnered the most points out of all competitors in the 400 meter (50.78), 1500 meter (4:39.13) and pole vault (4.25m). Johnson was joined by fourth-year teammate Andrew Toothaker. Toothaker finished sixth, with a total of 5,187 points. His 16.01 performance in the 110 hurdles secured him a victory in that event along with the 732 points that go with it.

On the women’s side, fourth-year Janel Conley of the University of Rhode Island (URI) earned the most points in the heptathlon. Her 5,407 points were earned through first-place finishes in the 100 meter hurdles (13.81), high jump (1.65 meters), long jump (5.88 meters) and the 800 meter (2:21.03). In second place, with 4,594 points, was fourth-year Hannah Madison from URI as well. Fourth-year Alexa Frame finished 12th for Maine, with total points amounting to 3,512. First-year Skylar Cooke finished in 15th place with 3,368 points. Right behind her was first-year Alexis Cooke, who placed 16th after managing to accrue 3,330 total points. Fourth-year Grace MacLean finished competition with a “Did Not Finish” status.

The men’s team moves on to Princeton University for the Princeton Invitational on Saturday, April 29. A meet with Holy Cross is scheduled for Saturday as well. The women will meet with the men at the Princeton Invitational and will also be taking on the University of Pennsylvania in the Penn Relays next Thursday, April 27 and Friday, April 28.

In game one of UMaine’s doubleheader versus the UMass Lowell River Hawks, third-year relief pitcher Annie Kennedy’s stellar performance on the mound stole the show for Maine. Kennedy pitched 6.1 innings, allowing only two hits en route to her shutout.

On the offensive side, fourth-year Rachel Harvey’s impressive four-hit game led Maine to its 8-2 victory over the Riverhawks. After game one, Maine’s record improves to 9-17 overall and a perfect 4-0 in conference play. UMass Lowell on the other hand falls to 12-16 and 4-2 in America East.

Third-year pitcher Molly Flowers got the initial start on the mound for the Black Bears. She was quickly relieved by Kennedy, after walking four batters and allowing two runs while just recording one out. Kennedy cleaned up the first by striking out fourth-year Alisha Welch on a big swing and miss. Once Kennedy entered, the game was a different story.

In the top of the third, Maine began its scoring streak. With third-year Rachel Carlson on base, Harvey picked up her second home run of the season, scoring Carlson and herself evening the score at two.

In the bottom of the third, Maine continued its defensive success, limiting UMass Lowell to only three hitters for the second inning in a row. With their momentum building, Maine returned to the plate.

After third-year Sarah Coyne singled to right-center, her journey around the bases began. She made it all the way to third before Harvey reappeared to present her heroics. Her single to the shortstop batted in Coyne but Harvey wasn’t done there. She proceeded to steal second and then run home off an RBI single from second-year Alyssa Derrick.

Last year, Derrick was named America East Rookie of the Year, receiving Rookie of the Week honors twice. Her eight home runs last season were a team high as well as her 41 RBI’s. In her five at bats in this game, she managed to record two hits and a walk and was left on base three different times.

Maine kept UMass Lowell off the bases again in the fourth for a third consecutive inning, maintaining their defensive excellence.

Singles from third-years Erika Leonard and Carlson in the top of the sixth once again set up Harvey to steal the show. Her bunt brought in Carlson and Leonard to extending Maine’s lead to 6-2. Coyne picked up her second run in the seventh while Harvey picked up another RBI on a single to left field, capping off her impressive career game with five RBI’s and two runs scored.

One last solid defensive inning by Kennedy and Maine ended the game with the score 8-2, a solid victory for the Black Bears on the road against the America East’s third ranked team.

Black Bears split doubleheader after strong first matchup

It looked like Maine was due to repeat the success they found in game one of the doubleheader versus UMass Lowell, with three early unanswered runs. However, the Riverhawks were not having it this time, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the game 5-3. The loss brings Maine’s overall record down to 9-18 and ruins their perfect streak in America East (4-1). UMass picks up a big win against the top ranked team within their conference. Their record improves to 13-16 and 5-2 in America East.

All five of the River Hawks’ unearned runs were the result of defensive fielding errors. After their previous domination versus UMass Lowell, Maine came out of the gates with some confidence.

Maine opened up the scoring in the first frame. Harvey returned to the spotlight with a single, then, in typical fashion, stole second. Derrick cleaned up with a single up the middle, earning an RBI as Harvey ran home.

Carlson singled to third and took second off a fielding error. Harvey took first after being hit by a pitch. Derrick stepped up to the plate with two runners on base and ripped a single that brought Carlson home to increase Maine’s lead to 2-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, fourth-year Chloe Douglass pinch ran for second-year Maddie Decker after she was walked. Douglass stole second and then advanced to third after Coyne hit one to first base. Douglass was then batted in by Leonard, who picked up her 16th RBI of the season. Halfway through the game, heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, Maine was up 3-0 and prospects were looking optimistic.

The bottom of the fifth would spell a different fate for Maine. UMass Lowell’s first-years Emily Stevenson and Casey Harding both singled to start things off, one off a pop fly to right field and the other off an error at third base.

Fourth-year Tori Alcorn picked up another single to load up the bases, signaling trouble for Maine. Third-year Samantha McQueen pinch hit for first-year Marianne Sparacia and reached first base off an error at second base, as both Harding and Stevenson ran home for two unearned runs.

Fourth-year Alyssa Hasbrouch put the team on her back with her next at bat. Her double sent Alcorn home and put runners on second and third. First-year Courtney Cashman was next and her single brought McQueen and Hasbrouch. That capped off the River Hawks five-run fifth inning, which ultimately won them the game.

At this point, Kennedy came in to relieve for fourth-year Erin Bogdanovich, who had let up five runs on six hits and put a halt to the nightmare inning.

When all was said and done, UMass Lowell managed to secure five runs to take the lead and eventually the win as Maine would be unable to find any more offensive success.

Up next for Maine is a weekend series versus Stony Brook University who currently sits at fourth place in America East. UMass Lowell turns its attention to Binghamton.

UMaine’s Track and Field team invited the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Bates College to the Beckett Family Track Complex for a tri-meet last Sunday, April 2. The men’s team tied Bates for first with both teams earning a total score of 129. After the day was over, the women’s team found themselves alone in first place, with a total score of 134 points.

On the men’s side, third-year Thomas Murray was first to score for Maine, with his 50.59 meter hammer throw. His second place finish earned Maine five points.

First-years Troy Davis and Erick Seekins earned second and third place in the long jump, with their respective distances of 6.15 meters and 6.03 meters.

Third-year Kelby Mace excelled in the javelin throw, earning first place with a throw of 63.85 meters. First-year Kyle Faucher of New Hampshire placed second, with his 57.37 meter launch.

Bates College shone in the 4×100 meter relay. Their team, consisting of third-year Isaiah Seetram, second-years Ryan Corley and Beaufils Kimpolo-Pene and fourth-year Colin Kraft, ran the race in 44.70, earning seven points with their first place finish. Maine and UNH were both disqualified for running out of bounds.

Fourth-year Levi Frye and second-year Simon Powhida placed in the 1500-meter run, with times of 4:07.99 and 4:0.90, respectively.

Fourth-year Jake Osborn topped the chart in the 400-meter dash with his time of 50.66. Fourth-year Patrick Griffin of Bates was right behind him with a time of 50.75.

Second-year Tucker Corbett bested all opponents in the 800-meter run, with his time of 1:57.81.

Maine dominated in the 400-meter hurdles with first and second place finishes from third-year Elijah Yeboah and first-year Branden Kuusela.

Third-year Mozai Nelson ran for a first place finish in the 200-meter dash, with a time of 22.05.

Fourth-year Jesse Orach outpaced all others in the 5000-meter run. His time of 14:26.92 was 38 seconds faster than second place finisher Aaron Willingham, a second-year of UMaine.

On the women’s side, third-year Rachel Bergeron got the scoring going in the hammer throw with her flight of 55.10 meters.

In the long jump, second-year Ariel Clachar was the best with her jump of 5.51 meters.

Fourth-year Ashley Donohoe secured the top spot in the shot put with her throw of 12.22 meters. Donohoe was back in the discus throw with a first place throw of 39.78 meters. Bergeron was right behind her with a throw of 39.20 meters.

Maine excelled in the 4×100 meter relay, when their team of Clachar, first-year Cassidy Hill, fourth-year Teal Jackson and second-year Lauren Magnuson ran for a time of 48.69, four seconds ahead of Bates College who placed second.

First-year Tiffany Tanner ran a 2:20.26 in the 800-meter run to secure first place for Maine.

Jackson earned Maine seven points with her 26.42 second run in the 200-meter dash.

UNH’s fourth-year Katherine Estep ran a 18:30.86 5000-meter run to secure seven points for her team.

In the final event of the day, Maine’s four-woman team of Tanner, Jackson, third-year Alexis Dietrich and first-year Elisabeth Redwood placed first in the 4×400 meter relay. The final score landed Maine in first with 134, Bates in second with 126 and UNH in third with 107 points.

The Boston Bruins have found themselves in a tight race to secure a spot in the postseason.

Since the 2013-14 season, the NHL has followed a four division, two conference alignment. The top three teams in each conference make the playoffs, as well as two wild cards from each conference, bringing the total number of teams in the postseason to 16. The Bruins are currently vying for one of those wild card slots.

It’s absolute chaos in the Atlantic Division. Not a single team has clinched a playoff berth and there are currently five teams that could slide into the second wild card slot: the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins, the New York Islanders, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Eastern Conference playoff landscape could be drastically different tomorrow than it is today. It’s a bloodbath and the Bruins are finding themselves in the middle of it. Since the firing of Head Coach Claude Julien, the Bruins have gone 12-7-0 under new Head Coach Bruce Cassidy.

Their game this past week against the Islanders snapped a four-game losing streak and earned them some critical points against a team who also desperately needs them. Bruce Cassidy went 7-1 in his first eight games as head coach. Since his hot start, the Bruins have gone 5-6. This is partly because Cassidy brought a new style of play to the Bruins offense. He encouraged his men to attack more than Claude Julien ever had, which led to some good chances from his defense and enabled his forwards to control the movement of the game.

This is something unusual for the Bruins and caught other teams by surprise, but Cassidy’s peers have seen his games and caught up to his style. Now, Cassidy wants to get back to what he calls the “fabric” of the Bruins’ game, a defensive-centric style focused more on managing the puck and less on going on the attack. The Bruins players are on board, looking back to their success when Cassidy first started.

In an uncertain race, one thing is for sure — the players need to buy-in if they don’t want to be playing golf in May, because Bruce Cassidy isn’t out there on skates scoring goals in overtime. The Bruins need to buy-in and buy-in quickly, because time is running out to secure those last couple points and the Bruins have a daunting last couple of weeks. They have to play Nashville (38-25), Dallas (30-33), Florida (33-30), Chicago (48-21), Tampa Bay (36-29), Ottawa (41-25) and Washington (49-17). Fortunately, all but the game versus Chicago will be played in Boston, a place they have gone 19-16 this season.

If they don’t pull through, the Bruins will have missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. If they do make it, they will most likely face the Washington Capitals.

Led by Alexander Ovechkin, the Caps are a favorite to go all the way this year. The B’s facing off against the Caps would be a David versus Goliath story. A win versus them would deny Ovechkin the most promising bid for his first Stanley Cup that he’s yet to receive. You can believe that Ovi is going to come gunning. He’s taking no prisoners and neither can the Bruins if they hope to move very deep at all this year towards Lord Stanley’s prize.

Claude Julien got absolutely hosed by the Boston Bruins organization. Out of the nine seasons he spent with the Bruins, he led the team to the playoffs seven times, bringing them to the finals twice and winning the whole thing once. Over his career with the B’s, he’s posted a .621 win percentage, which is the 10th best percentage of active coaches in the NHL. These statistics are evidence of a great coach, reinforced by the fact that after Julien was fired by the Bruins earlier this season, he was hired almost immediately after by the Bruins’ dreaded rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadiens fired their head coach just so they could scoop Julien up, that’s how valuable of an asset he is. The question then begs to be asked, “Why did the Bruins fire the longest tenured coach in the NHL?” The team was 26-23 when he was fired, still a playoff contender. The reasons were not Julien’s fault at all and were actually the result of years of mismanagement in the Bruins’ back office. Three of Boston’s four centers are over 30 years old and not a single one is playing at the same level as they were back in 2011. David Krejci is en route to a 50-point season, about 20 points less than what he averaged between the 2008-2016 seasons. Patrice Bergeron has been sidelined with injuries this season, but regardless, his production has been down as well. Our star defenseman is turning 40 this year. Just look at the Bruins’ shooting percentage; seven percent, the second worst in the league. The Bruins just signed 32-year-old David Backes to a five year contract worth $30 million. The B’s once had Dougie Hamilton and Tyler Seguin, but those players were replaced by Jimmy Hayes. Hayes has five points this season after playing in 46 games. In a sport dominated by youth and speed, slow and old simply will not cut it. To let a program age is to let it fall in decline and that’s why the Bruins missed the playoffs in the 2014-2015 season for the first time in seven years.

These issues are not Claude Julien’s fault. They are decisions made in the higher office with GM Don Sweeney and President Cam Neely. One decision those two made was to replace one of the greatest coaches of all time with Bruce Cassidy, a mediocre, minor league coach who has backed up Claude since 2016. The only NHL experience Cassidy has had is with the Washington Capitals, a team he led to a measly 39-29 one season and then 8-16 another season before being fired. Cassidy’s early success with the Bruins is impressive, but it’s no indication of long-term prosperity.

Many interim NHL coaches have fizzled out after early win streaks. Cassidy has strung together four wins, the longest streak the Bruins have had all season, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that Cam Neely and Don Sweeney are drowning this organization.

Men’s hockey bested in thrilling contest against Merrimack

The University of Maine (10-18-4, 4-14-4 HEA) men’s hockey dropped an overtime thriller versus Merrimack College (13-13-6, 7-7-6 HEA) at Lawler Rink on Friday, Feb. 17. Third-year forward Jace Hennig was the hero for Merrimack, tucking it past second-year goaltender Rob McGovern for the game-winning goal.

Maine started strong, netting their first goal less than two minutes into the first period. Second-year forward Daniel Perez scored off assists from first-year forwards Chase Pearson and Ryan Smith. It was Perez’s third goal of the season. Maine wouldn’t find the net again until fourth-year captain forward Blaine Byron tallied his 15th goal of the season off another assist from Pearson. The goal was Byron’s 100th point of his career.

Pearson was all over the scoreboard that night as he found the back of the net, raking it over Merrimack’s third-year goaltender Colin Delia to increase Maine’s lead to three. The goal was Pearson’s 13th on the season. He is currently Maine’s second leading goal scorer, behind only Byron. The 3-0 lead was short-lived as Merrimack came back with a vengeance. First-year forward Sami Tavernier was able to beat McGovern on an assist from first-year defender Johnathan Kovacevic. Headed into the third period, the score was 3-1.

Merrimack was able to find another late in the third. Fourth-year forward Chris LeBlanc shot it past McGovern to bring the score within one. All Merrimack had to do now was pull the goalie and attempt to equalize the game with a man up. Second-year forward Derek Petti did his job for Merrimack, pulling off the comeback with the empty net behind him. The goal was assisted by Hennig and third-year defender Marc Biega. In regulation, McGovern made 38 saves compared to Delia’s 35.

The comeback was not completed yet as the teams were headed into overtime with the score knotted at three. Neither team would budge at first, but in the final minute of overtime, the game found its winner. Hennig sailed it past McGovern for his fifth goal of the season. McGovern ended up making 40 saves, four less than his season high versus University of Massachusetts. McGovern boasts a .916 save percentage this season with a 2.86 goals against average and 774 saves.

Maine plays Merrimack again the next day to round out the series.

Maine tied the Merrimack College Warriors on the final note of their weekend series.

Maine would capitalize on four different goal scorers on their way to a 4-4 draw.

Once again, Maine started off strong in the first period, opening up the scoring off a tally from third-year forward Cedric Lacroix. The Shefford, Quebec native has managed to find the back of the net five times this season, notching 10 total points. The goal came on a power play and was assisted by fourth-year captain defender Eric Schurhamer and first-year forward Patrick Shea, a Florida Panthers draftee (192nd overall). Byron would score next off assists from second-year forward Brendan Robbins and first-year defender Patrick Holway. Holway was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings 170th overall in the 2015 draft. Holway has managed to record 12 points this season off four goals and eight assists. Maine would take this 2-0 lead into the second period. Fourth-year goaltender Matt Morris stood stout with 13 saves.

With two periods left, there was still a lot of hockey to play and Merrimack found a way to inch back into the game. Tavernier tallied another goal, scoring on the power play halfway through the second. The goal was assisted by some familiar faces in Kovacevic and Merrimack’s top scorer, third-year forward Brett Seney.

Hennig proved again to be the bane of Maine’s existence, scoring two minutes later to tie the game at two. In a true battle of attrition, Maine came right back with a goal of their own.

Second-year defender Rob Michel checked off his eighth goal of the season. Michel’s total of 18 points is good enough to place him fifth on Maine’s scoring list. The goal was assisted by fourth-year captain forward Cam Brown and surprisingly enough, Morris. The assist is Morris’ first point of the season. The score was 3-2 headed into the third.

The back and forth contest was not over, according to Merrimack’s second-year forward Ludvig Larsson. He notched his goal off assists from Leblanc and fourth-year defender Jonathan Lashyn. Fourteen seconds later, Smith found the back of the net off a broken play in Merrimack’s defensive zone. The freshman from Roanoke, Virginia has tallied 10 points this season. The final score came from Maine’s nightmare Hennig. His second goal of the game tied the match at four which is where the score settled for the evening.

A period of overtime was not going to decide the game either. Morris made 41 saves while Delia made 23.

Looking forward, Maine welcomes Northeastern to the Alfond for one final series before Hockey East playoffs. Maine currently sits in the No. 11 seed in the postseason picture. Northeastern sits at the No. 8 seed. Saturday night’s game is a celebration for the seniors on the team that are graduating from Maine. Merrimack moves on to a weekend series with the University of Vermont. Merrimack rests at the No. 7 seed while Vermont is an inch ahead in the No. 6 seed.

Entering the conference finals, the Maine women’s swimming team was 1-4 in scored meets. Their first win came against Providence College right before the postseason. Maine took this momentum into the four-day long competition with their America East rivals.

On the first day of action, Maine took home 60 points, worth a fourth place finish versus competitors University of Baltimore County (UMBC), University of New Hampshire (UNH), University of Vermont (UVM) and Binghamton University. In the 800-yard freestyle relay, Maine’s four-women team of second years Megan McGillivray, Alison Brodt, Shayla-Rose Kleisinger and third-year Chloe Adams finished with a time of 7:34.77. The finish, worth 30 points, was 16.95 seconds behind the first place finishers from UMBC.

“I think the best part of the meet was the team dynamic and seeing everyone be a good teammate to each other,” Adams said. “The energy on the team as a whole is exactly where it should be.”

The 200-yard medley relay was a similar story to that of the 800-yard free. Maine’s team of first-years Emma Blair and Sabrina Nuttall and third-years Victoria Kingston and Juliana McDonald finished fourth with a time of 1:44.05. The additional 30 points rounded out Maine’s total for the day. After day one, the standings were UMBC with 123 points, UNH with 113, Vermont with 98, Maine with 60 and Binghamton with 46.

Day two was underway with plenty of action and record breaking performances. Maine finished the day with a total of 160 points to stay in fourth place.

In the 500-yard freestyle, Kleisinger stood out with a time of 4:59.71. This time shaved 2.97 seconds off her preliminary time, the largest improvement from any of the top finishers. Kleisinger finished fifth and was followed shortly after by Brodt who completed the event in 5:07.56, which was good for eighth place. The two picked up 25 points for Maine in the event. In the 50-yard freestyle, McDonald placed third with a time of 23.61. Blair finished in the same event with a time of 23.85. The duo picked up 16 and 12 points, respectively.

In the B-finals, third-year Emily Borger finished ninth with a time of 23.91. Her performance was worth nine points and tallied Maine’s last point in the event. In the final event of the meet, Maine’s team of McDonald, Blair, Borger and fourth-year Tessa Lindsley finished second in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Their time of 1:33.43 was a school record and only .12 seconds behind first place finishers UVM. Their finish was worth 34 points and gave Maine their final total of 160 points after day two.

Headed into day three, Maine looked to build on the success of the previous day. After three days, Maine accrued a total of 266 points to remain in fourth place.

In the 400-yard individual medley, Kleisinger continued her success with a time of 4:31.98. Again, Kleisinger managed to shave off a huge difference from her preliminary time of 4:35.22. Kleisinger got another nine points for Maine with her race. First-year Hannah Deschenes also placed in the event with a time of 4:39.84 to give Maine another three points. Kingston gave Maine 13 points for Maine in the 100-yard Butterfly with her time of 56.64. Third-year Emma Pontius and first-year Kate Pontius also placed in the event with times of 57.93 and 58.77 respectively. McGillivray scored for Maine in the 200-yard freestyle with her time of 1:54.33. Third-year Meghan O’Neill also placed in the event with the time of 1:57.89 to score one point for Maine.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Nuttall, fourth-year Cece McEachern and second-year Emma Blackdeer placed for Maine with times of 1:05.10, 1:06.45 and 1:07.25 respectively. The trio picked up a combined 17 points for Maine in the event. Borger placed ninth in the 100-yard backstroke on route to setting a school record with her time of 57.34. Blair followed shortly after with a time of 57.98. In the 400-yard medley, the relay team of McGillivray, Nuttall, Kingston and McDonald finished fourth with a time of 3:51.83.

UMBC finished first again in this event with their time of 3:42.57. At the end of three days, UMBC finished first with 644.5 points, UNH second with 507 points, UVM third with 467 points, UMaine with 266 points and Binghamton fifth with 259.5 points. Maine has one more day of competition left to round out the tournament.