STANDISH, ME - The Great Northeast Athletic Conference has announced its yearly women's swimming awards and for the second time in as many years as a league member, a Saint Joseph's College swimmer has been honored in a vote by the conference coaches. Lady Monks' freshman Hannah Gajewski (Biddeford, ME/McAuley) has been selected as the 2009 GNAC Rookie Swimmer of the Year. Teammate Lindsay D'Ascanio ‘10 (Kennebunk, ME) captured the same honor following the 2008 campaign.

Gajewski has been named the GNAC Rookie of the Week six times and also was named as the Conference Co-Swimmer of the Week on February 23rd. She has won 16 events this year, breaking nine individual team records while participating as a member of three program record-holding relay teams. Gajewski earned two individual wins at the GNAC Championships in the 200 Free and 100 IM, while also earning a win in the 400 medley relay.

The Catherine McAuley High School graduate advanced to the finals in three events at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships recently, and set a new program record in the 200-IM with a 2:24.56 effort. Her preliminary time of 1:06.81 in the 100-IM was a new team-best as well. The freshman also swam a leg for the 10th place 800-Free Relay team and helped the group post a new team record (8:41.72) in the competition.

SJC freshman Anne Roberts (Hopkinton, NH) was selected by a vote of her teammates to represent Saint Joseph's on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Simmons senior Keri-Ann Arsenault was selected as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season and Simmons College's Mindy Williams was named the 2009 GNAC Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year.

The Saint Joseph's women's swim team posted a 7-1 record in its second NCAA DIII Varsity season and the program hosted its first meet when Husson University squared off against St. Joe's in the Harold Alfond pool on February 7th.