WATERVILLE, Maine - Husson University women's swimming & diving junior Rachel Hand earned two Eastern College Athletic Conference Open Championship cut times in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke on day two of the eighth annual State of Maine Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Championship inside the Aquatics Center at the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center on the campus of Colby College.

Hand swam a personal-best time of 1:01.19 in the 100-yard backstroke while her time of 2:10.14 in the 200-yard backstroke broke her own school record mark of 2:14.87 by four seconds, which she set on Nov. 11, 2023 at Eastern Connecticut State University. She also became the second Eagle in program history to achieve a ECAC qualifying time and first since Husson Sports Hall of Fame member Lara Sarrett did so during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

The University of Maine captured the State of Maine title with 928 points, followed by No. 21 Bates College (863.5), No. 15 Bowdoin College (707.5), host Colby College (662), Wheaton College (Mass.) (501), University of New England (78), Husson University (70) and Maine Maritime Academy (50).

Hand, junior Erin Madden, senior Kayla Payson and freshman Mia Winslow began day two by swimming a 2:03.99 in the 200-yard medley relay.

In the 100-yard butterfly, Hand and junior Kat Christensen clocked in with personal-best times of 1:02.38 and 1:33.83 at the same time Payson and graduate student Hannah Soutter each swam season-best times of 1:03.39 and 1:12.28.

Madden notched a season-best time of 2:15.28 and sophomore Maggie Poulin (2:21.64), freshman Mackenzie Gray (2:27.65), and freshman Isabella Cost (2:31.93) all had personal-best times in the 200-yard freestyle.

Junior Grace Rocheleau swam a personal-best time of 1:22.90 in the 100-yard breaststroke and added a season-best time in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:59.29).

Rocheleau (1:10.40), Winslow (1:10.56), Gray (1:14.93) and Poulin (1:18.40) all clocked in with personal-best times and Soutter earned a season-best time of 1:13.46 in the 100-yard backstroke.

Sophomore Riley Mahoney placed 11th in the one-meter diving with a score of 192.30, followed by sophomore Lily Butler in 12th with 192.30 points and freshman Julia Brown finished 16th by scoring 122.35 points.

Poulin and Christensen begin the evening session of the meet by swimming personal-best times in the 1650-yard freestyle. Poulin swam a 21:54.86 and Christensen clocked in at 24:59.07.

Madden (2:27.92), Rocheleau (2:34.36), Gray (2:41.26) and Poulin (2:45.27) all produced personal-best times and Soutter had a season-best time of 2:39.23 in the 200-yard backstroke.

In the 100-yard freestyle, Christensen had a season-best time of 1:13.76 and Cost added a personal-best of 1:08.19.

Payson notched a season-best time of 2:22.46 while Christensen swam a career-best 3:28.24 in the 200-yard butterfly.

In the final individual event of the meet, Cost and Gray clocked in with a personal-best times of 1:13.80 and 1:23.19 while Soutter (1:12.80) added her third season-best time of the day in the 100-yard individual medley.  

The Eagles closed out the meet by seeing the relay team of Hand, Payson, Madden and Soutter swim a 4:02.63 in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Husson will return to action on Jan. 12, 2024 when they host Saint Joseph's College of Maine in a 4 p.m. dual meet.