Kats Score 66 Points in Opening Day of Swimming Nationals

The Erie Community College Swimming and Diving teams competed in six events and compiled a collective 66 points on the first day of the National Junior College Athletic Association Swimming and Diving National Championships at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center, March 1.

Tabby Smith scored the most individual points after placing eighth in the 50-yard freestyle with a 25.35 score after an ECC-best 25.07 time in the preliminaries.

Allie DeBiase finished 11th in the 200-yard IM with a 2:19.63 time, while DeBiase and Smith combined with Alexis Slimak and Kristin Klein in the 200-yard medley relay for a seventh-place finish with a 2:04.60 time.

Brad Zifra was the highest individual scorer from the men's team with a 13th-place finish in the 200-yard IM with a 2:04.68 time. Teammate Mike Oldman also competed in the 200-yard IM and finished 16th.

Andrew Achenbach finished 15th in the 50-yard breaststroke with a 31.33 time. Achenbach, Oldman, Zifra, and Charlie May finished ninth in the 200-yard medley relay with a 1:45.32 time.

Overall, the men are 10th with 25 points and the women eighth with 41 points after the first day. Indian River State College lead both the men's and women's standings after the first day of competition.