GNAC Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week Report #10
Swimmer Of The Week
Carli Quinlan, Simmons (Sr.)
Senior Carli Quinlan took first place in the 100-yard freestyle (54.49) on Sunday afternoon at the Wellesley Sisters Invitational. The day prior, Quinlan touched the wall in third in the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 27.24 and took another top three finish in the 200-yard freestyle, going 2:00.01 before ending the night in fifth in the 200-yard individual medley, swimming a time of 2:20.67.
Diver Of The Week
Reilly Laitala, Norwich (Sr.)
Senior Reilly Laitala swept both diving boards on Senior Day to help Norwich defeat Plymouth State, 190-70. She opened with a commanding win in the 1-meter six-optional event with an impressive 234.80 score, then returned to take the five-voluntary board with a 164.80. Laitala outpaced the field by over 40 points across the two events, securing another multi-board sweep during the 2025-26 campaign.
Rookie Of The Week
Delaney Allen, Norwich (Fr.)
Freshman Delaney Allen led Norwich to a dominant 190-70 win over Plymouth State on Senior Day with three individual victories and a relay contribution. The freshman captured wins in the 200-yard freestyle (2:06.38), 50-yard butterfly (28.20), and 100-yard individual medley (1:06.33), while also swimming the breaststroke leg on the Cadets’ winning 400-yard medley relay team (4:31.85). Allen's all-around performance powered Norwich to its fourth dual win of the season and marked one of the most complete team efforts of the year.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Alannah Kelliher, Norwich - Kelliher earned an individual win and contributed to two strong relays in Norwich's 190-70 victory over Plymouth State. The junior sprinted to first in the 100-yard freestyle (58.69), anchored the Cadets' winning 400-yard medley relay, and swam the third leg of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay. Kelliher's versatility across strokes and relays helped Norwich dominate both ends of the meet.
Sophia Caruso, Regis - Caruso claimed first place in the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.97, edging the runner-up by more than a second. She followed that performance with another top finish in the 100 freestyle, touching the wall in 55.32. Caruso also posted a women's swim and dive season-best time of 1:10.48 in the 100 backstroke to earn a runner-up finish.
Alina Niemczyk, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) - Niemczyk kept her standout sophomore campaign rolling this past Saturday (1/17) as the Blue Jays hosted a meet against Eastern Connecticut. Individually, Niemczyk won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:47.02) and added a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly (2:37.27). She also helped power the team to a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:59.99), swimming the second leg of the event.
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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