Local college notes

Tracking the Bears

• For the fourth straight year, Coast Guard Academy finished second in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference men's swimming and diving championships. The Bears scored 735 points, only trailing champion MIT (1,219 points).

Three CGA relay teams each placed second to earn all-conference honors.

The 200 freestyle relay team of freshman Christian Brindamour, seniors Johnson Knox, Brian McGuiness and Dan Beshoar had a time of 1:23.83.

The 400 medley quartet of seniors Bryan Andrews, Knox, Preston Strobel and McGuiness finished in 3:27.44 while the 200 medley team of Beshoar, freshman Derrian Duryea, Strobel and Knox had a time of 1:33.31.

Junior Kevin Smith broke the school record in the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.99, taking fifth and making the NCAA "B" cut.

• In the NEWMAC Championship women's competition, the Bears took fourth overall. MIT won the team title with 960 points, with Springfield (821.5), Wellesley (430) and Coast Guard (353.5) rounding out the top four.

Sophomore Chantel Ferguson and senior Heidi Gayman earned All-NEWMAC honors. Ferguson placed second in the 400 IM in 4:37.60 and set the school record in the 200 IM in 2:09.27, finishing third. Gayman was second in the 200 freestyle (1:54.42).

Freshman Sara Cantrell also had a school-record setting performance with a score of 381.35 in the one-meter board. She was seventh.

• Coast Guard recently announced it will play a baseball doubleheader against city rival Mitchell College on Wednesday, April 25, at Dodd Stadium in Norwich (1 p.m.).

Mitchell notes

The Mitchell College women's basketball team plays a New England Collegiate Conference quarterfinal game tonight at third-seeded Newbury College (15-10, 13-5). The Mariners (8-16, 7-11) are seeded sixth.

The Mariners lost both regular-season meetings - 79-59 on Feb. 2 on the road and 77-63 on Feb. 11 at home. The two teams also met in the conference tournament quarterfinals last season, with Mitchell winning 73-65.

Freshman guard Sheanna James was named the NECC Rookie of the Week after averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 5.5 steals in wins over Bay Path and Becker.

• Mitchell sophomore Joshua Ford added to his collection of NECC weekly awards, winning the top rookie honor. He led the Mariners in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (9.0) last week against Lesley University and Becker College.

Camel trails

The Connecticut College women's swimming team set five school records last weekend at the New England Small College Athletic Conference Championship. The Camels finished seventh overall. Williams was the team title for the 12th straight year.

Esther Mehesz had school record times in the 1,000 yard freestyle (10:22.26) in the 1,000 yard freestyle and mile (17:25.06).

Katie Karlson (50 breaststroke, 30.20), Rachel Bohn (100 backstroke, 58.62) and the 200 medley relay team of Bohn, Karlson, Erika Fernandes and Julia Pielock also entered the school record books. The relay finished in fourth in 1:46.41.

• The men's swimming team competes in the NESCAC Championship this weekend at Williams. Senior All-American Tim Walsh is the top competitor for the Camels. Other swimmers to watch: sophomore Sam Gill, freshmen Max Fabian and Kirk Czelewicz.

• The women's hockey team plays at nationally-ranked Amherst Saturday in NESCAC quarterfinal action. The Camels (11-11-2, 5-10-1) are making their fifth straight conference tournament appearance. The No. 3 Lord Jeffs (19-4-1, 13-2-1) swept the regular-season series. Courtney Dumont is the top offensive threat for the Camels, scoring 30 goals and adding 17 assists, and goalie Amy Leichliter has a 2.38 goals-against-average.

• Senior Jenn Shinall finished her fine women's basketball career with 1,216 points, becoming the seventh Camel to reach the 1,200 mark, while leading Conn to a 16-7 overall record and a spot in the NESAC tournament.

Around the region

Central Connecticut State University's Sam Alexander, a senior from Waterford, was named to the Northeast Conference 2011 Fall Scholar-Athletic Academic honor roll and received the men's cross country scholar-athlete award.

Alexander earned the outstanding performer award after winning the NEC Cross Country Championship. He is a three-time All-NEC team selection. A Geography major, he has a 3.52 grade point average.

Waterford's Benjamin Lazarus and Bacon Academy graduate Andrew Hill also were named to the Academic Honor Roll. Hill also made the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

• UConn had 22 players named to the 2011 Big East All-Academic football team. Candidates must own a GPA of at least 3.0 and completed a minimum of two semesters. Honorees include: Harris Agbor, Jimmy Bennett, Tyler Bennett, Robert Cherry, Jeremy Claflin, Steve Greene, Frank Guardi, Jory Johnson, Alex Kantor, Chris Lopes, Dominick Manco, Corey Manning, Chris Matteis, Scott McCummings, Adam Mueller, Alex Pagan, Moe Petrus, James Scherer, Dave Teggart, Robert Urban, Isaac White and Nick Williams.

Siena College sophomore Dana Tricarico, an East Lyme graduate, was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference swimming and diving All-Academic team. She also recently helped Siena to seventh place in the conference, scoring points in every relay events including three sixth place finishes. She also set a new personal best time in the 100 freestyle while reaching the conference finals in that event.

• UConn sophomore Brian Ward is the Big East baseball pitcher-of-the-week. He threw 7.1 innings of shutout baseball in a season-opening win over Indiana (8-0) last week, allowing four hits while striking out five.

- Gavin Keefe