Raab Sets School Record as St. Mary's Women's Swimming Takes Second at CACs

St. Mary's City, Md. – First-year Brooke Raab (Parkton, Md./Hereford) broke her own record in the 200 breaststroke and 14-year head coach Andre Barbins was named Capital Athletic Conference Women's Swim Coach of the Year in leading the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's swim team to second at the CAC Men's and Women's Swimming Championships for the fifth consecutive year.

This is Barbins' fifth overall CAC Coach of the Year award and fourth on the women's side, earning the honor previously in 2004, 2008 and 2009.  He was named the CAC Men's Swim Coach of the Year for the first time last year.

Raab finished third in the 200 breaststroke with her school record of 2:26.04, shaving off 1.28 seconds of her own mark from December 4, 2011.  Sophomore Stefania D'Ambrosio (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) placed fifth in the same event in 2:30.87 and senior Mandy Pazouki (Silver Spring, Md./JFK) took eighth in 2:35.11.

Junior Chelsea Gulliver (Frederick, Md./Urbana) captured the consolation finals of the 200 breaststroke in 2:34.73 for ninth overall.

Junior Kelly Heyde (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) finished out the weekend by becoming a three-time CAC champion in the 200 butterfly as Heyde posted an NCAA 'B' cut of 2:08.13 in the event.  Senior Katie Serfling (Frederick, Md./Urbana) was fifth in 2:17.34 followed by junior Daisy Smith (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) in sixth in 2:18.38.

Junior Joanna Purich (Silver Spring, Md./Blake) claimed the consolation finals of the 200 butterfly in 2:22.87 for ninth overall.

First-year Hannah Hafey (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) notched second team All-CAC honors in the 200 backstroke in 2:09.79.

First-year Elaina Kohles (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll School) claimed a third-place finish in the 1650 freestyle in 18:07.75 while sophomore Erin O'Connor (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) followed in fourth in 18:09.45 and senior Katelyn Grue (Ellicott City, Md./Mount de Sales) in sixth in 18:25.48.

First-year Kelsey Abernathy (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) paced the Seahawks in the 100 freestyle as Abernathy tied for 10th with York College of Pennsylvania's first-year Courtney Dacheux (Dover, Pa./Dover) in the event, both touching the wall in 55.56.

The Seahawks' 400 free relay team of Abernathy, Hafey, sophomore Hattie Schiavone (Winchester, Va./John Handley) and Heyde came in third in 3:43.90.

University of Mary Washington was crowned the women's team champion for the 22nd consecutive season while Marymount University's senior Anna Macedonia (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) was tabbed the CAC Women's Swimmer of the Year for the second year in a row.  Mary Washington's sophomore Amber Kerico (Sterling Park, Va./Park View).

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 18 events): 1. Mary Washington, 924.5 … 2. St. Mary's, 678.5 … 3. Marymount, 427 … 4. York, 366 … 5. Salisbury, 307 … 6. Hood, 178 … 7. Frostburg State, 132.