Kang's Productive Day Catapults Women's Swimming and Diving on Penultimate Day of NEWMACs

2/22/2025 10:42:00 PM

Niamh O'Sullivan

WORCESTER -- The WPI women's swimming and diving team maintained its fifth place standing after a strong third day at the 2025 NEWMAC Swimming and Diving Championships at the WPI Sports & Recreation Center.

The Engineers have 303 total points and are in a tight race with Babson (301) and Wellesley (300) heading into the final day. MIT leads the event with 1,113 points, followed by Coast Guard (506), Wheaton (449), and Springfield (416).

Senior Lada DiMascolo (Puyallup, WA) led the way for WPI, finishing seventh in the 400 IM with a time of 4:39.07. Freshman Sarah Kang (Richmond, VA) had a busy day, taking 10th in the 100 Back (59.05) and 11th in the 100-yard butterfly (58.16).

In the 200 Free, freshman Kate Creusere (Las Cruces, NM) placed 16th with a time of 1:59.36, while senior Kristina MacLeod (Jackson Hole, WY) claimed 14th at 1:58.50.

Three Engineers competed in the 100 Breast finals, led by freshman Milena Whitney (Bedford, NH) in 12th place (1:08.28). Freshman Niamh O'Sullivan (Basking Ridge, NJ) finished 15th (1:10.10), followed closely by freshman Alia Ureta (Hackensack, NJ) in 17th (1:11.28).

WPI's strong 100 Back contingent delivered 42 team points, as six Engineers made the finals. Alongside Kang's top-10 finish, senior Leah Kolb (Canton, MI) placed 12th (1:00.10), senior Audrey Dino (St. Louis, MO) was 13th (1:00.13), freshman Maria Korneva (Boylston, MA) took 14th (1:00.30), junior Anna Callaghan (Townsend, MA) placed 18th (1:02.42), and junior Rachel Tsang (Acton, MA) followed in 19th (1:02.67).

The Engineers closed out the session with strong relay performances. The 'A' team of Kolb, Whitney, Kang, and MacLeod placed sixth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:48.68, while the 'B' team of Dino, O'Sullivan, junior Kaitlyn Grove (Cheshire, CT), and freshman Veronica Finucane-Tuccio (Excelsior, MN) finished 15th at 1:51.83.

Competition concludes Sunday with a full slate of events, including the 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 1650 Free, Women's 3-Meter Diving, and the 400 Free Relay.

Team Standings After Day Three: