MANSFIELD, Conn. -- Junior Erin McVeigh (Windsor) became the fourth different Eastern Connecticut State University women's swimmer to capture the individual title at the University of Saint Joseph (CT) Pentathlon Saturday when the Warriors eased to the title in the three-team event in the 2012/13 season-opener.
Eastern claimed the team title for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons, swamping Western New England University, 131-15. Host Saint Joseph did not score.
Led by McVeigh, and freshmen Katie King (Barkamsted) and Macaire Jones (Danbury), Eastern swimmers captured the top three, nine of the top 11 and 13 of the first 20 spots in the pentathlon, which is comprised of the 100 yard backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle and individual medley.
McVeigh, second to senior teammate Nadine Menard in last year's pentathlon competition, bested Katie King by 12 seconds and Macaire Jones by 13 seconds by for the individual title. McVeigh was timed at 1:06.04 in the backstroke, 1:18.64 in the breaststroke, 1:04.43 in the butterfly, 57.64 in the freestyle and 1:06.86 in the IM for a total pentathlon score of 5:33.62. Katie King totaled 5:46.00 and Macaire Jones 5:47.06.
Others finishing in the top ten in the pentathlon scoring were junior Michelle Schapp (Torrington), sophomore Rachael Thatcher (Newington), and juniors Becky Odgers (Shelton), Marissa Colley (East Haven) and Jacqueline Tromp (Bohemia, NY). Schapp, Thatcher and Odgers placed 5-6-7 and Colley and Tromp 9-10.
McVeigh touched the wall first in the butterfly, freestyle and IM and was second in the backstroke (to program record-holder Schapp) and fifth in the breaststroke. Katie King led all swimmers in the breastroke, with her time of 1:11.56 less than two seconds off the program record.
Eastern went 1-2 in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, 1-6 in the backstroke, took nine of the top ten in the breaststroke, six of the top nine in the butterfly, 11 of the top 13 in the freestyle, and nine of the top 11 in the IM.
Macaire Jones, sophomore Kayla Smoragiewicz (Norwalk), Schapp and Tromp combined on the winning 200 relay and Arisco, Colley, McVeigh and Odgers on the 400.
Previous Eastern individuals to claim the individual pentathlon title in addition to Menard last year were Sarah Barber in 2006 and 2007 and Amy Arisco in 2008 and 2009 when the Warriors captured four straight.
Eastern competes at Western Connecticut State University Saturday, Nov. 3.
