Bucknell University Athletics
2007 Swimming & Diving Patriot League Championships
2/15/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 15, 2007
Day Two - Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007
Trials: 10:30 a.m. - 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back
Diving Trials: 12:30 p.m. - One-Meter (M)
Finals: 6 p.m. - 200 Medley Relay, 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, One-Meter Dive (W), 800 Free Relay
Women's 200 Medley Relay
With the third-fastest time in school history, the Bison 200 medley relay squad of Lectie Altman, Nikki Woodward, Mary Krakowski and Rebecca Scheffter took the runner-up spot in the event last year. This season, freshman Courtney Warren, sophomore Kelly Morris, senior Katherine Munson and Scheffter currently hold the team's best time, 1:48.61. Bucknell has won the event seven times, including two of the last four years. Colgate captured first at the 2006 league meet with a time of 1:44.73.
Men's 200 Medley Relay
The Bison took second in the 200 medley relay at the 2006 league meet with the second-best time in the Bucknell record books, 1:32.12. Three members of that relay squad--sophomore Mark Kawczenski, junior Bradford Bennett and junior John Peterman all return for this year's championships. Kawczenski, along with Bennett, senior Matt Crandell and junior Grant Steadman, hold the fastest time by the Bison this season (1:35.21). Navy has taken first in the event each of the last three years. Bucknell has won the 200 medley relay at the PL Championships on three occasions with the last victory coming in 2000.
Women's 400 Individual Medley
The Bison placed two swimmers in the top-eight in this event last year, both of whom return to compete in the 400 IM this season. Senior Laura Goeller won the event as a sophomore in 2005 and was fifth in 2006. She holds the fastest time by a Bison this season, 4:35.77. Her classmate, Nikki Woodward, took third in the event at last year's league meet with the third-best time in Bucknell history. Navy's Kelly Zahalka will be looking to defend her 2006 championship as she set a meet record in the event last season.
Men's 400 Individual Medley
Junior Theo Leriotis, the lone top-eight finisher for the Bison in the 400 IM last season, will once again compete in the event and holds the fastest time by a member of the Orange and Blue this season at 4:15.09. Steve Brennan from American was the 400 IM champion in 2006 and 2005. The event was won by a member of the Eagles the previous three seasons as well.
Women's 100 Butterfly
Three members of the Orange and Blue placed in the top-eight spots for the 100 fly at the 2006 league meet. Two of these scorers have been lost to graduation, however, Bucknell's highest finisher, senior Katherine Munson, will be competing in the event again this year. Munson, who set the school record with her third-place time of 57.53 last year, holds the fastest time by a Bison this season at 58.58. Colgate sophomore Beverly Walker will be in search of her second-straight title in the event.
Men's 100 Butterfly
Senior Matt Crandell and Grant Steadman will compete in the 100 fly for the Bison. Crandell has been the top performer for Bucknell in the butterfly events this season and holds the team-best time of 53.18 in the event this season. Navy's Mike Linn won the 100 fly at the 2006 league meet. The league champion has been a member of the Orange and Blue on five occasions. The most recent was Chris Neary in 2001.
Women's 200 Freestyle
Seniors Rebecca Scheffter and Carlyn Donley both placed in the top-eight for the Bison in the 200 free at the 2006 PL Championships as Scheffter was fifth with the second-fastest time in program history (1:52.87), while Donley was seventh. The squad graduated two scorers from last season in this event, Lectie Altman and Lauren Reed. However, freshman Megan Mongan will look to make an impact in her first league meet. She is the highest-seeded Bison with a squad season-best time of 1:55.88. Meghan Thiel of American has won this event at the past two league championships.
Men's 200 Freestyle
A youthful group comprised of four sophomores, two freshmen and two juniors will look to score points in the 200 free after losing the team's one top-eight finisher from last season, Todd Bauer, to graduation. Sophomore Christopher Amato holds a team-season best time of 1:45.36. Joe Smutz of Navy took home the gold in the event last season. Bucknell's last 200 free PL champion was Alex Johnson in 1999.
Women's 100 Breaststroke
Sophomore Nikki Seaman took seventh in the 100 breast last season as a freshman and will be competing in the event once again, along with four other members of the Orange and Blue. Sophomore Kelly Morris, who came to Bucknell this season as a transfer from Indiana, has the top time by a Bison in 2006-07 (1:06.54), which is the second-fastest time in program history. Two previous PL champions in this event will be competing as well, Emily Murphy of Colgate, who won in 2006, and Aubra Thomas of Navy, who took first in 2004 and 2005.
Men's 100 Breaststroke
Bison swimmers William Schilling and Joseph Metcalf landed in the top-eight in the 100 beast at the 2006 league meet. Shilling, who placed third, graduated last spring. However, Metcalf has returned and will took to score in the event again after a seventh-place showing last season. Leading the way for Bucknell is junior Bradford Bennett with a team-season best time of 57.95, which ranks sixth-fastest in program history. Lehigh's Grant Flothmeier claimed the PL title in the event last season. Bucknell's last and only 100 breast champion in league history was Schilling, who won in 2004.
Women's 100 Backstroke
One of the best backstrokers in Bucknell history, Lectie Altman, graduated in 2006 after finishing third in the 100 back as a senior and winning the event as a junior. Senior Katherine Munson, who placed sixth in the 100 back at last year's league meet, along with a strong corps of freshmen, will be competing in the event this season for the Bison. Leading the way are freshmen Courtney Warren and Lauren Russell who have the two fastest 100 back times on the team this year, 59.38 and 1:00.13, respectively. They will look to challenge 2006 champion Beverly Walker for first.
Men's 100 Backstroke
After a top-eight finish as a freshman, sophomore Mark Kawczenski will look to build on that fifth-place showing as he is the top-seeded Bison in this year's field for the 100 back with a time of 52.79. Joining him will be freshmen David Iselin and Spencer Hallowell. Bucknell has captured the title in this event six times. Mark Kretzer was the last to do so for the Bison in 2004. American's Val Formenko was first to touch the wall at both the 2006 and 2005 league meets.
Women's One-meter Diving (6 dives)
Bucknell's freshman duo of Eliza Massie and Rebecca Bersani, along with senior Erika Minerowicz, will be representing the Bison in the diving events. Bersani, who ranks second in the Bucknell record books for one-meter, six optionals, has a team-season best score of 253.10. For the first time since 2002, the Patriot League will crown a new diving champion as Chelsea Haviland of Army graduated in 2006 with four PL titles on the one-meter board.
Women's 800 Freestyle Relay
The Bison have not competed in the 800 free relay since last season at the league championships where the squad took third with the fourth-best time in program history (7:42.05). Colgate won the event with a time of 7:33.68 in 2006, ending a three-year streak of victories by the Bison.
Men's 800 Freestyle Relay
The 2007 Patriot League Championships will mark the first time the Bison have competed in the 800 free relay this season. Sophomores Nicholas Hanes and Christopher Amato were a part of Bucknell's fifth-place relay at the 2006 league meet, which posted the 10th-best time in school history (6:55.05). The Bison have won this event once, in 1994. Army took the gold in 2006 with a time of 6:44.79.
