Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Bucknell Women Sprint to Lead After Day One of PL Swimming & Diving Championships
2/20/2003 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 20, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's women's swimming and diving team gave a dynamic showing on day one of the three-day Patriot League Swimming & Diving Championships. The Bison women set new school records in all five events, won three events and finished day one atop the standings with a score of 231.50.
The Bison, who are in search of their first Patriot League title, have a 67.5-point lead over second-place Navy, the defending conference champions. Navy has 164 points, followed by Lehigh (143), Colgate (108), Army (104), American (80.5), Holy Cross (58) and Lafayette (26).
Bucknell had an opportunity to host its first Patriot League Swimming Championship in the newly opened Kinney Natatorium. Bucknell has not hosted a swimming championship since 1969, when the men's team hosted the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships.
Meghan Freese was the star of the night for the Bucknell women. She obliterated the school and championship records in the 50-yard freestyle and also anchored two winning relays. Bucknell's 200-yard freestyle relay opened the night with a convincing win in meet-record time of 1:34.94. Erica Wild, Darby Golino, Mary Krakowski and Freese set the pace in the initial event of the finals. Freese's winning time of 23.32 in the 50-yard freestyle shattered Margaret Grunow's 10-year-old school and PL record by a whopping .26 seconds. The time also qualified Freese provisionally for the NCAA Championships. Krakowski placed fourth in the 50-freestyle (24.42).
Golino, Krakowski, Freese and Jamie Flick captured a first-place finish, by six seconds, in the 400-yard medley relay. The relay squad set a new meet, league and pool record with a time of 3:49.54. Golino's 100 backstroke split of 57.31 was also a Bucknell's school record.
Daniela Faas earned a silver medal in the 500-yard freestyle with a Bucknell-record time of 4:56.93. Jennifer Cancro followed Faas with a time of 4:59.69, for the bronze. Just hours earlier, in the morning preliminaries, Cancro had broken the BU record with a swim of 4:59.76. Cancro and Faas are the first women in Bucknell history to swim the 500 free in under five minutes. Also contributing in the 500 free was Jackie Feinthel, who placed a solid fifth in 5:03.33. Golino was the runner-up in the 200-yard IM with a school-record time of 2:06.46.
"We had a great first day, but one day does not win a championship," stated head coach Jerry Foley. "We have two days to work hard and keep up great effort.
Other Thursday winners were Navy's Jenn Windstein in the 500 free (5:45.89) and Lehigh's Linda Hendrixson in the 200 IM (2:06.46).
Bucknell is coming off its first unbeaten (7-0) dual-meet season in school history. Bucknell will return to the pool, Friday, Feb. 21 at 10:30 a.m. for another day of trials, while the finals will begin at 6 p.m. in Kinney Natatorium. The Patriot League Swimming Championships will also continue on Saturday, Feb. 22 with trials at 10:30 a.m. and finals beginning at 6 p.m.
Women Scores (Day One): Bucknell, 231.5; Navy, 164; Lehigh, 143; Colgate, 108; Army, 104; American, 80.5; Holy Cross, 58; Lafayette 29.
