Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Swimming and Diving Teams Return Home to Take on Columbia
1/19/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Jan. 19, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's and women's swimming and diving squads will take on Columbia on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Kinney Natatorium, marking the first home meet for the Orange and Blue since playing host to the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational back on Nov. 20.
The Bison will welcome back alumni with a variety of events throughout the day Saturday, as well as honor this year's five senior members of the women's squad and the eight men's seniors. There will be an open swim for alumni from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by a reception in the Bucknell Hall of Fame lounge area.
Prior to the start of the meet, seniors Lectie Altman (Syracuse, N.Y./William Nottingham), Todd Bauer (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area), Brian Cole (Franklin, Pa./Franklin Area), Joseph Duncan (Golden, Colo./Golden Senior High), Adam Freeman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), Victoria Fritz (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West), Mary Krakowski (Erie, Pa./McDowell), Mark Kretzer (Northport, N.Y./Harborfields), Lauren Reed (South Plainfield, N.J./Mount St. Mary Academy), Lisa Rockwell (Lavelle, Pa./North Schuykill), William Schilling (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional), Brooks Steadman (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) and Jake Thompson (Freeport, N.Y./Chaminade) will be recognized for their contributions to the swimming and diving programs with a senior day ceremony.
Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between the Bucknell and Columbia women's swimming and diving teams, while the men's squads competed against each other for the first time last season, with the Lions coming away with a 162-136 victory in New York.
The Bison men will look to win their second-straight dual after defeating Colgate this past Tuesday by a 200.5-94.5 margin. Bauer, Kretzer and sophomore Grant Steadman (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) were all double-winners in individual events for the Orange and Blue against the Raiders with Bauer taking first in the 1000 free (10:04.83) and 500 free (4:46.42), Kretzer capturing the top spot in the 100 back (53.09) and the 100 fly (52.00) and Steadman winning the 50 free (21.83) and the 100 free (47.72).
Freeman is the current Patriot League Male Diver of the Week as he earned the honor after winning the one-meter diving event at the Black Knight Diving Invitational on Jan. 14, with a total of 264.80 points for the top score in a field of 18 competitors. On day two of the Invitational, Freeman took second out of 15 divers in the three-meter with a mark of 279.85. Most recently against Colgate, Freeman won the one-meter event with a score of 293.85 while finishing the runner-up to Thompson in the three-meter dive.
The Bucknell women will look to bounce back on Saturday after suffering just the second loss to Colgate in program history, the first in 21 years this past Tuesday. Despite the setback, Altman, junior Rebecca Scheffter (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) and junior Katherine Munson (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) all posted individual wins for Bucknell against the Raiders. Altman captured first in the 200 back against Colgate with a time of 2:04.59 and has won the event five times this year. She has three individual wins in the 100 back this season as well, and finished as the runner-up twice.
Scheffter has won the 100 free in the last two dual meets for the Bison and swam a season-best 53.01 in the event against Colgate. Munson also will be looking to go three-straight dual meets as an individual winner as she took first in the 200 fly against Army and Colgate, recording a season-best time of 2:08.07 against the Black Knights.
Sophomore swimmer Kristen Skroski (North Haven, Conn./Hopkins) is the reigning Patriot League Female Swimmer of the Week and was one of three double-winners for the Bison women in the team's victory over Army. She finished first in the 200 free with a time of 1:55.97 and captured the top spot in the 500 free with a time of 5:10.90. Both times were season-bests for Skroski.
The first event of Saturday's meet, the women's 1650 free, will commence at 2 p.m.
