CANTON, Ohio – The Frostburg State Women's Swimming team ended the first day of the GMAC/MEC Championships in fourth place overall out of 10 total teams, including being the top-ranked team from the Mountain East. Among the GMAC teams featured is the 19^th-ranked team in the nation, Findlay, as well as traditional powerhouse Hillsdale.
 
FSU started out the meet in fine fashion, earning third overall in the 200-yard medley relay with a team of freshman Gabriela Betancourt, sophomores Natasha Paciello and Kendall Hooper, and junior Liz Perry finishing in 1:49.61 to set a new program record and secure the top MEC time.
 
Hooper would go on to reach new heights on her own, besting her own school record in the 200-yard IM by almost three seconds, with a time of 2:09.83. She placed fifth overall in the event as the lone MEC representative in the A final to secure First Team All-MEC honors. Additionally in the event, Betancourt swam a 2:18.54 to put herself at seventh all-time in program history.
 
As another solitary MEC swimmer in an A final, Perry placed seventh overall in the 50-yard freestyle at 24.35, setting a new personal record and maintaining her spot as the second-fastest in school history.
 
Rounding out the individual finishes of the day, sophomore Lydia Nebiolo set a season-best 10:51.24 in the 1000-yard free by almost 12 seconds, the seventh-fastest in the event and third in the MEC. In one of the most impressive individual performances of the day, fellow sophomore Tiernan Taggart swam her fastest-ever time in the event by over a full minute, finishing in 10:59.08 to put her second all-time in program history, just behind Nebiolo.
 
In the final event of the day, the 200-yard free relay team of Nebiolo, sophomores Amaya Burke and Alexis Council, and junior Maree Dieterich placed fourth overall and second in the MEC with a time of 1:42.33.
The Bobcats finished day one with 221 total points, in between Ashland from the GMAC at 265.5 and Notre Dame (Ohio) as the closest MEC team at 184 points. The Championships resume day two with preliminary races beginning at 10 a.m. and final events scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
 
First Team All-MEC
Kendall Hooper – 200 IM (2:09.83)
Liz Perry – 50 Free (24.35)
Gabriela Betancourt, Natasha Paciello, Kendall Hooper, Liz Perry – 200 Medley Relay (1:49.61)
 
Second Team All-MEC
Amaya Burke, Lydia Nebiolo, Maree Dieterich, Alexis Council – 200 Free Relay (1:42.33)
 
Honorable Mention All-MEC
Lydia Nebiolo – 1000 Free (10:51.24)
 
GMAC/MEC Women's Championship Standings After Day One
1.Findlay (GMAC)– 463
2.Hillsdale (GMAC) – 416.5
3.Ashland (GMAC) – 265.5
4.Frostburg State (MEC) – 221
5.Notre Dame College (MEC) – 184
6.Fairmont State (MEC) – 149
7.Wheeling (MEC) – 137
8.Davis & Elkins (MEC) – 129
9.West Virginia Wesleyan (MEC) – 83
10.Malone (GMAC) - 74