WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has announced this season's men's swimming honors and Saint Joseph's College has earned, by a vote of conference coaches, the 2019 Institutional Sportsmanship Award.
Led by third-year Head Coach Jared Felker Saint Joseph's finished as the 2019 GNAC Championship in fifth with 70 team points in the event, which was held at Simmons College in Boston onFebruary 2nd and 3rd.
Despite having a small roster, the Monks made the most of their four individuals. A pair of men's swimmers highlighted the weekend for the Monks, as senior Stephen Quinlan (Andover, Mass.) and freshman Ryan Watson (Bangor, Maine) set two team records apiece in the annual championship. Quinlan established new high-water marks in the 200-IM (2:05.99) and 200-Breast (2:22.66), placing second in both events, while Watson shattered the Monks' 1000-Free (10:51.84) and 500-Free (5:09.46) records – both by over eight seconds – over the weekend. Watson was the runner-up in the 1000-Free and broke the 500-Free record in the preliminary round.
Quinlan paced the SJC men with 19 points on the weekend, while Watson posted 16, freshman Nathan Landry (Derry, N.H.) added 10, and Joseph Nichols (Tyngsborough, Mass.) notched five.
Following the completion of each season, the GNAC presents sportsmanship awards to one program in each of its 17 sponsored sports. Head coaches select, by vote, the institution that best represents the tenets of sportsmanship, which - along with community and integrity - is one of the major focal points of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
