IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE - FEBRUARY, 21, 2008 CLARK WOMEN’S SWIM AND DIVE SET FOR NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLARK UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THINKS PINK

COUGAR OF THE WEEK

CLARK WOMEN’S SWIM AND DIVE SET FOR NEWMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women's Swimming & Diving Championships
at Wellesley, Feb. 22-24
Championships Web Site

The Clark University women’s swim and dive team hope the two-week lull has prepared them for the three-day New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championship (NEWMAC) meet set to begin this weekend at Wellesley College.

After posting their highest finish (7th) since 2002 and setting 71-season best performances and 41 career records at last year’s meet, the Cougars hope to turn in significant marks this year as well.

Clark boasts a pair of new faces to this year’s meet. First-years Britney Wigley and Elizabeth Rosen, both consistent team front-runners this winter, will try their hand at stunning the competition.

“Veterans” to the NEWMAC championship format, sophomores Dana Akerfelds and Corri Stewart will look to make an impact in the backstroke. Hampered by injury this season, Akerfelds, who set two new school marks at last year’s event, returns just in time for NEWMAC’s, while Stewart came on strong in the stroke towards the end of the regular season. Juniors Kayleigh Lagasse and Lindsey Stone also hope to make their mark in the butterfly and freestyle events, respectively.

Following last winter’s championship performance, junior Jess Baker moved to third on Clark’s all-time 3-meter board and will challenge in both diving events once again.

Seniors Kara Bochicchio, Cassandra Crawford, Caitlin Hanson, Jessica Moise, and Marjorie Whalen will look to stamp their careers with personal bests.

The Clark women do not have an easy lane ahead, however. They will be up against seven-time NEWMAC Champion Springfield College and 20th ranked MIT.

Although it will be a daunting weekend both mentally and physically, the Cougars are up for the challenge.

“The team seems unified and excited,” said head coach Paul E. Phillips. “Each person has a chance to contribute to the overall success of the group and that is our main goal – to have everybody add something positive over the course of the weekend.”

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CLARK UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THINKS PINK

The Clark University women's basketball team hosted its first-annual "Think Pink" campaign last night. Despite the Cougars loss to Wellesley, the event went off without a hitch. With the gym adorned in pink balloons and tablecloths, both teams added to the occassion with pink warm-up shirts and shoelaces. Not only did staff and students don pink, but referees sported their pink whistles as well. Additionally, seven lucky fans were awarded pink Clark basketball t-shirts on seven made Cougar three-pointers.

To top off the night, members from the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) gave pink "Celebrate Courage" bracelets at the door for a suggested $1 donation, but Clarkie fans contributed much more to the cause. SAAC collected $175 towards breast cancer research by night's end.

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) established the "Think Pink" initiative, a global, unified effort to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.

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Previous Cougar of the Week

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The highlights for this newsletter are provided by
Dalya Qualls, Sports Information Director, 508-793-7164
Email: dqualls@clarku.edu