UMBC

Daniele Surkovich set a school record in the 200-free and also was part of the record-breaking 800-free relay.

Boston-The UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both hold two-point leads after the first day of competition at the 2007 America East Championships at Boston University’s Aquatic Center. Three out of four Retriever relay teams that competed Thursday evening broke school records.

The Retriever men have amassed 100 points, two more than second-place Stony Brook (98). Maine (94), Binghamton (79) and Boston U. (78) round out the five-team field. On the women’s side, the Retrievers have totaled 74 points, followed by New Hampshire (72), Boston U. (65), Maine (59), Vermont (56), Stony Brook (54) and Binghamton (48).

The Retrievers started the evening off with a splash as the women’s 800-yard freestyle relay team of sophomore Daniele Surkovich, senior Agnes Stanislawska and juniors Lindsey Engler and Meghan Sackett broke both the school and meet records with a winning time of 7:30.14. The previous school mark of 7:34.75 was set at the 2005 George Mason Patriot Invitational by three of the same teammates – Surkovich, Stanislawska and Sackett – along with former Retriever Robin Klein. New Hampshire set the old championship record last season at 7:30.70.

In addition, Surkovich’s leadoff split of 1:50.70 bested Sackett’s previous 200-free school record of 1:51.22, which she also set at the 2005 Patriot Invitational.

Next up was the men’s 800-free relay, and not to be outdone by the women, sophomores Justin Bronson, Freddie Reitz and Evan Roseberry and senior Juan Ortiz smashed school and meet records with their winning time of 6:44.18. The previous school mark of 6:44.71 was set in 2002, while the old championships record was set at 6:47.62 by UMBC in 2004.

The Retriever women’s 200-medley relay of Stanislawska, sophomore Tina Cantwell, Sackett and Engler placed second in 1:47.04, taking down the UMBC record of 1:47.51 set at last season’s America East Championships by Stanislawska, Klein, Sackett and Surkovich. New Hampshire won the event in 1:45.30.

The UMBC men’s 200-medley relay team of freshman Rasmus Kutt, junior Scott Auchter, freshman Matt Mattingly and senior Tim Conway also placed second in 1:32.58. Binghamton won the event in a new meet record of 1:31.42, besting its own previous mark of 1:32.14 set last season.

Finally, UMBC senior diver Jeff Salgado placed second on the 1-meter board with a score of 303.70, less than two points behind Stony Brook’s Julian Acevedo, who won the event with a score of 305.30.

The four-day America East Championships continue Friday with the men’s and women’s 500-free, 200-IM, 50-free and 200-free relay and the women’s 3-meter diving. The morning preliminary session begins at 10 a.m., while finals begin at 6 p.m.

Women’s Team Rankings – Day 1

1. UMBC                 74

2. New Hampshire    72

3. Boston U.              65

4. Maine                    59

5. Vermont                56

6. Stony Brook          54

7. Binghamton           48

Men’s Team Rankings – Day 1

1. UMBC                 100

2. Stony Brook          98

3. Maine                    94

4. Binghamton           79

5. Boston U.              78