Cambridge, MA - The Wagner College swimming & diving team put on one of the best performances in program history at the 2013 NEC Swimming & Diving Championships, matching the program-best mark with a second-place finish in the four-day event at MIT.

The Seahawks tallied 715 points, just 17.5 shy of champion Saint Francis U, with the Red Flash winning their fourth consecutive NEC title. Bryant finished third with 669.5 and Central Connecticut posted 648 to finish fourth. Mount St. Mary's (263), Sacred Heart (169) and St. Francis Brooklyn (142) rounded out the team scoring.

Wagner took home a trio of awards following the meet, with freshman Amanda Lucia (Easthampton, MA/ Easthampton) being named Rookie of the Meet and Co-Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet. Lucia is the first Seahawk to win Swimmer of the Meet since Jessica Hart earned the honor in 2009.

Second-year head coach Colin Shannahan was voted NEC Coach of the Year after leading the Seahawks to their best NEC Championships finish since 2003. It is the first time Wagner has taken home that award since now-Bryant coach Katie (Dolan) Cameron was named Coach of the Year following that 2003 meet.

Lucia and junior Sarah Menendez (Land O'Lakes, FL/ Wharton) both took home first place in individual events Saturday night. Lucia captured the 200 fly in 2:00.38, an edge of 0.5 seconds, while Menendez won the 100 free by the narrowest of margins. The Seahawk junior finished in 51.05, with Alicia Ford touching one-hundredth of a second later. Menendez broke her own school record in prelims (51.27) before setting the new mark in finals.

In the afternoon's 3-meter diving session, the Seahawks grabbed three of the top six spots. Sophomore Mallory Lee (Newark, CA/ Moreau Catholic) placed second (226.60), with freshman Erica Curry (Fountain Valley, CA/ Fountain Valley) fourth (200.05) and senior Josephine Ieraci (Staten Island, NY/ Notre Dame Academy) sixth (183.45).

The afternoon's first swimming final was the 1650 free, with junior Alex Cooney (Port Jervis, NY/ Minisink Valley) finishing fifth to lead the Seahawks. Freshman Maggie Shaw (Chantilly, VA/ Chantilly) was 10th (17:37.69), while junior Kristiana Kalibat finished 12th (17:42.81).

Freshman Kara Lacoste (Chicopee, MA/ Chicopee Comprehensive) was one of five Seahawks in the 200 back, finishing fourth in 2:02.77. Her time of 2:02.13 in prelims broke her own program record. Freshman Kaitlin Murtha (New Fairfield, CT/ New Fairfield) took seventh (2:06.33), while freshman Meghan Mendez (Export, PA/ PA Cyber was 10th (2:07.43), sophomore Morgan Stoner (Greensburg, PA/ Hempfield Area Senior) finished 14th (2:11.51) and Kalibat was right behind in 15th (2:12.65).

Menendez was joined by three other Green & White swimmers in the 100 free, with junior Meredith Ketchmark (Plainsboro, NJ/ West Windsor-Plainsboro) taking fourth (51.46), freshman Corinne Rondina (Staten Island, NY/ Notre Dame Academy) in 11th (52.89) and sophomore Sam Sides (Cherry Hill, NJ/ Cherry Hill East) finishing 15th (53.36).

In the 200 breast, Lacoste broke the school record in prelims with a time of 2:21.72. Her time of 2:22.27 in finals was good for fourth, .04 seconds ahead of sophomore Michelle Greenough (Davis, CA/ Davis). Junior Kelsey Thomas (Hammonton, NJ/ Holy Spirit) was seventh (2:23.40), and junior Kristen Lee (Cherry Hill,  NJ/ Cherry Hill East) took 13th (2:27.72).

Lucia was one of three Seahawks in the top nine in the 200 fly. Senior Tatum Colitz (Wyomissing, PA/ Wilson) took fourth in 2:05.05, while freshman Erin Malone (Sewell, NJ/ Washington Township) won the B final, finishing in a time of 2:07.49.

In the final event of the meet, the Seahawk team of Menendez, Ketchmark, Cooney and Colitz finished third in the 400 free relay in 3:27.26.