Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bison Invitational
Bucknell Swimming and Diving Wraps Up Preparation for PL Championships at Bison Invitational
1/31/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Jan. 31, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's and women's swimming and diving teams hosted the Bison Invitational on Saturday at Kinney Natatorium as they competed for the last time prior to next month's Patriot League Championships. The Bison women faced Navy and American, while the men competed against just American in the non-scored meet. A number of Bucknell swimmers swam in different events than normal throughout the meet.
On the women's side, Allison FitzPatrick (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) stole headlines as she recorded a new Bucknell record off the three-meter diving board. The junior, who also won the one-meter competition with a season-best 230.18, scored a 260.48 off the higher board. FitzPatrick previously ranked fourth on Bucknell's all-time list with a 247.95.
The Bucknell men posted 12 first-place finishes in the meet, including three by Brendan Wills (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./LaSalle College), who won the 200-yard individual medley in a season-best 1 minute, 58.89 seconds, the 100 butterfly in a career-best 51.55 and the 50 free in a career-best 21.57. Additionally, Jeffrey Manning (Bringhurst, Ind./Carroll Jr./Sr. High) swept both diving events, marking the fifth time he has done that this season. Wills and Manning accounted for nearly one-half of Bucknell's victories.
FitzPatrick was not the only diver to have a solid day as Rebecca Bersani took second off both boards and scored a 251.33 off the three-meter, which was a new career-best mark and kept her in fourth place on Bucknell's all-time list.
Ellen Carter Stagg (Richmond, Va./James River) also broke into the 200 breaststroke top-10 list as she won the event in 2:25.67, placing her seventh in Bison history. Caroline Walsh (Watchung, N.J./Kent Place School) finished third in the same event with a season-best time of 2:34.65. Stagg also swam a season-best (1:08.24) in the 100 breast, giving her two first-place showings in the meet.
Macey Keath (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) joined Stagg and FitzPatrick with two victories as she won the 200 fly in a career-best 2:10.70 and she claimed gold in the 200 free, leading a 1-2-3 Bucknell sweep in the event.
Courtney Warren (Montour Falls, N.Y./Watkins Glen) also had a banner day as she just missed joining Bison top-10 lists in the 50 and 100 free. The junior won the 100 free in 53.49, which was just .22 off her career best that ranks 10th in Bucknell history. Warren later took fifth in the 50 free, but her 24.77 was just .31 shy of 10th place in program history.
Back on the men's side, Manning was not the only Bison diver who had success Saturday as Gregory Zavoluk (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) finished second off both boards. He scored a 211.80 off the three-meter, marking his second-best score of the year.
Bucknell's men finished 1-2 in seven swimming events, including the 200 breast as Evan Palumbo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown Heights) took first (2:11.59) and Ben Bible (Inner Grove Heights, Minn./Saint Thomas Acad.) (2:15.77) claimed second. Both times were career bests.
Mark Kawczenski (500 free), Eric Sokolosky (100 back, 200 free), Luke Trafton (100 breast) and Ben Leboza (100 free) were the other Bison men to post first-place finishes.
Neither Bucknell team swam in a relay event during the meet.
The Bison will be idle until the Patriot League Championships, which will be held Feb. 19-21 at Kinney Natatorium. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Weis Center Box Office (570-577-1000) or online at www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice.
