June 12, 2009
This summer, GoTerriers.com is counting down the top 12 achievements of Boston University teams and student-athletes in 2008-09, one of the greatest years ever for Terrier athletics. Check back each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as we reveal this year's Terrier Twelve.
Coming in at No. 10 in this year's Terrier Twelve is the women's swimming and diving team's spectacular rise to the top of the America East Conference, which culminated with its first conference championship in 14 years. In all, 12 records were broken throughout the 2008-09 season as the Terriers completed one of their best campaigns in program history.
Head coach Bill Smyth, now in his fourth season with BU, guided the Terriers to a 10-1 dual-meet record during the regular season and then kept the momentum going into the conference championships, as they knocked off two-time defending league champions UMBC for the AE crown.
After day one of competition, BU was tied for third place, but on Friday, Feb. 20, it turned the tide, moving into first place backed by record-breaking swims from senior Eve Kinsella (200 IM) and a win from classmate Tess Waresmith on the three-meter board. The 200-free relay team of junior Emily Munday, sophomores Kirsten Tullis and Maria McIntyre and Kinsella topped it off with a victory in school-record time.
The Terriers maintained its advantage on Saturday of the conference championships, as Munday broke her own school record in the 100 fly and senior Christina Ruggiero stood atop the podium following a win in the 400 IM. Kinsella continued her tear through the weekend with another record-breaking performance - this time in the 200 free.
On the fourth and final day of the event, BU completed its historic season with its fifth AE title and first in over a decade. Waresmith completed the sweep of the diving events with a win on the 1M - setting a conference record in the process - and was later named the Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Meet. Sophomore Sarah Doersam also saw her name added to the record board as she broke the 200 fly mark with a time of 2:03.99.
Kinsella capped off the four-day event with a second-place finish in the 100 free. At meet's end, she was honored with the Coaches Award - presented to an America East senior who collected the most points at the conference championships over a four-year period.
The Terrier Twelve
No. 11 - Women's Ice Hockey Cracks National Rankings
No. 12 - Rickett Rewrites Records at America East Championship
A Letter from Athletic Director Mike Lynch
