Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
History at Kinney Natatorium: Bucknell Sweeps Patriot League Swimming & Diving Championships
2/22/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 22, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's and women's swimming and diving teams wrapped up a historic weekend in Kinney Natatorium on Saturday night, bringing Patriot League championships to Lewisburg for the first time in the history of either program.
The Bison women blew the competition out of the water, winning by over 237 points, while the men's team, which had never before finished higher than third in a Patriot League Championship meet, held off defending champion Lehigh by 69 points.
It is the first time in Patriot League history that one school claimed both the men's and women's titles in the same season. Bison head coach Jerry Foley earned "Coach of the Year" honors for both the men and women.
It is the first swimming and diving championship for either Bucknell team since the Bison swept the East Coast Conference men's and women's championships in 1987.
"This was just unbelievable," said a drenched Foley after taking a victory dunk. "This was an incredible year for both teams. These two teams will go down in history as two of the best ever at Bucknell. Words just can't describe my pride and love for this special group."
The Bucknell women were coming off an unprecedented undefeated dual-meet campaign (7-0), and the Bison backed it up in the championships. They set 15 school records and seven championship meet records over the course of the three-day event, and their final point total of 812.5 was also a team record.
Defending champion Navy finished second on the women's side with 575 points, followed by Lehigh (520), Colgate (494), Army (431), American (300.5), Holy Cross (193) and Lafayette (157).
Bucknell's men also set a team scoring record with 701 points. Lehigh was second with 632.5, followed by American (580.5), Army (564), Colgate (365), Lafayette (342) and Holy Cross (183).
Three Bison women won their second individual events of the championships on Saturday night, headlined by Meghan Freese's win in the 100-yard freestyle. Her time of 51.09 in the finals was one-hundredth of a second off her morning prelim time, which shattered the league and school records and met the NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Freese also hit the NCAA mark in the 50 free on Thursday.
Darby Golino and Lectie Altman went 1-2 in the 200 backstroke. Golino's time of 2:02.27 set meet and school records. Jamie Flick set a new Bucknell record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:20.30. Daniela Faas was runner-up in the 1650 free in 17:05.85, also setting a Bucknell record.
On the men's side, Peter Garvin won the 100 free in 45.58, and freshman Mark Kretzer sewed up Bucknell's team victory with a win in the 200 butterfly (1:52.66) in the final individual event of the meet. Another freshman, Todd Bauer, turned in a strong second-place finish in his collegiate debut in the 1650 free.
Navy's Jenn Windstein and American's Mark Licinsky both won three individual events apiece and walked away with women's and men's swimmer of the meet awards, respectively. The two diver of the meet honors both went to Army athletes - Doug Klein and Chelsea Haviland. Army's Jonathan Johnson was voted diving coach of the year.
