Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Swimming and Diving Hosts La Salle on Saturday
12/3/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Dec. 3, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - After enjoying an idle weekend over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Bucknell men's and women's swimming and diving teams will be back in action this Saturday, Dec. 4, when they host La Salle. The meet is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Kinney Natatorium. It is the third of seven regular-season home dates for the Bison.
Men's Notebook:
- Bucknell is 5-1 overall this season and 3-1 against Patriot League foes. The Bison are coming off a third-place finish out of eight teams at the Rutgers Invitational two weeks ago. Bucknell posted seven first-place finishes at the Rutgers Invitational as Mike Nicholson (200 IM, 400 IM), Matthew Segar (200 free), Jonathan Podniesinski (1,650 free), Eric Sokolosky (100 free), Thomas Brown (200 back) and the 400 free relay team of Segar, Harris, Sokolosky and Christian Treat were victorious during the three-day meet.
- Bucknell is 14-19 all-time against La Salle, but the two teams have not met since the 1993-94 season. The Explorers won that meeting 145-91 and carry a 15-meet winning streak in the series. The Bison's last win in the series came in 1978-79.
- Freshman Mike Nicholson is the only Bison individual to break into the record books so far this year. He ranks fourth on Bucknell's 200 IM top-10 list (1:52.19) and second in the 400 IM (3:59.26). Nicholson owns the fastest Bison times this year in the 200 breast, 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM.
- While Nicholson is the only individual to record a new top-10 time this year, the 400 free relay team broke into the top 10 with a time of 3:04.77 at the Rutgers Invitational. That is good for 10th in program history.
- Bucknell enters Saturday's meet with an all-time record of 21-14 at Kinney Natatorium. The Bison are 3-1 at home this year.
Women's Notebook:
- Bucknell is 4-2 overall this year and 2-2 against Patriot League competition, beating American and Lafayette, but losing to Navy and Colgate. The Bison finished second of 15 teams at the Rutgers Invitational two weeks ago. Six different Bison combined to post 10 program top-10 marks at the Rutgers Invitational. All 10 top-10 times were recorded by freshmen or sophomores.
- Emily Wright (50 free, 100 free), Kelly Pontecorvo (500 free, 1,650 free), Kelly Purcell (500 free, 400 IM) and Melissa Besman (500 free, 1,650 free) each posted two top-10 times at the Rutgers Invitational.
- Bucknell won four events at the Rutgers Invitational: 50 free (Molly Goebel), 1,650 free (Kelly Pontecorvo), 100 free (Emily Wright) and 400 free relay (Wright, Goebel, Elizabeth Porcellio, Kaitlyn Utkewicz).
- Bucknell is 4-8 all-time against La Salle in a series that began in 1982-83. The two teams last met in 1993-94 with the Explorers posting a 145-98 victory. The Bison have lost six straight in the series.
- The Bison have won seven of their last 10 home meets and are 27-10-1 overall at Kinney Natatorium since it opened in 2002-03.
Both Bison teams will take a long break from competition as they won't be in action again until a Jan. 15 home meet against Patriot League foe Army.
