MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – A new 800 freestyle relay school record was set on Thursday night as the Tufts University women's swimming & diving team got started at the 2020 NESCAC Championships hosted by Middlebury College.
The Tufts foursome of senior tri-captain Grace Goetcheus, freshman Claire Brennan, junior Abby Claus and sophomore Mary Hufziger combined on a 7:26.71 time that was second at the meet. The mark, which was under the 7:39.30 NCAA B standard, improved upon the previous Jumbo record of 7:28.71 from this meet last year. Hufziger did her 200 free anchor leg in 1:48.64 tonight.
A second Jumbo 800 freestyle relay also was under the NCAA B cut tonight with a 7:30.24 mark. The group was freshman Chloe Deveney, freshman Katelin Isakoff, junior Sook-hee Evans and junior Amy Socha. They were 12th in the meet.
The 800 free relay was the only event contested on the first day of the meet. Tufts' two relays combined to score 82 points, which ranks second in the team standings behind Williams College (86). The Ephs won the race with a 7:20.76 meet record. Amherst College sits third as a team with 74 points.
The first full day of competition at the meet tomorrow will include the 50 breaststroke, the 50 butterfly, the 500 freestyle, the 50 backstroke, the 200 individual medley, the 50 freestyle, the 200 freestyle relay, the 400 medley relay and one-meter diving.
