Lexington, Va. – A pair of UMBC freshmen took home hardware from the 2024 America East Swimming and Diving Championships.

Diver Ember Stennett earned Diver of the Meet honors, while sprinter Ashley Gutshall brought home Rookie of the Meet accolades.

After winning a silver medal on the 1-meter board on Opening Night, Stennett broke a 12-year old America East Championships record with a score of 292.35 and captured gold. She is the fourth Retriever to earn the league's top diving honor and the first in ten years.

Gutshall stunned the field by winning the 50 yard freestyle and captured another gold as the lead-off swimmer in the Retrievers' winning 200 freestyle relay squad. She becomes the seventh Retriever to earn the award on the women's side.   

On the final evening of competition, Bruna de Padua earned a bronze in the 1650 freestyle, her third individual medal of the competition.

For the second consecutive season, sophomore Telma Maltesjö earned second place in 200 yard breaststroke.

Senior Makaela Hill also earned silver, earning a second place finish in the 100 yard freestyle.  

To cap the evening, the 400 yard freestyle relay team of de Padua, Roaa Farag, Gutshall and Hill earned  a bronze.

The team – featuring 17 underclasswomen - placed fourth in the championships, amassing 466 points, trailing champion and first-time winner Vermont, UNH and Bryant and besting Binghamton, Maine and VMI.  

"This group of ladies have developed a culture of team first," said Head Coach Matt Donovan. "And we see it every day. From the seniors to the freshmen, they are fun to be around.
"Our future is bright. With the Rookie of the Year and the Diver of the Year going to two of our freshmen, we are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the America East for many years to come."