Second-Place Finishes by Warren and Keath Help Bucknell Women's Swimming and Diving Hold Off Colgate for Second Place at PL Championships

Saturday, February 20

Annapolis, Md.

6:00 PM

Bucknell University

PLC - Day 3 Finals

Bucknell Swimming and Diving Closes Regular Season Saturday at Navy Invitational

Second-Place Finishes by Warren and Keath Help Bucknell Women's Swimming and Diving Hold Off Colgate for Second Place at PL Championships

2/20/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving

By: TBD

Feb. 20, 2010

Results

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Entering Saturday's final day of the Patriot League Championships, the Bucknell women's squad had a 55-point advantage over two-time defending champion Colgate for second place. The Raiders cut into that lead significantly on the final day, but six top-three finishes by Bison helped Bucknell take second place at the event, marking its best finish since 2007.

The Bison finished with 687 points, 11.5 ahead of Colgate. Navy won the team title with 887 points. No other team had even half as many as the Raiders' 675.5 points as that trio separated itself from the pack for a fifth consecutive year.

Bucknell entered the final event of the three-day meet with a 13.5-point edge on Colgate, meaning even if the Raiders won the 400-yard freestyle relay, the Bison would hold onto second place in the team standings with a finish no lower than fifth. Led by a senior-laden group of Courtney Warren, Abigail Atkinson, Megan Mongan and junior Molly Goebel, Bucknell took third in the 400 free relay, one spot behind Colgate. Their time of 3:27.73 now ranks second in the program's record book.

Lauren Russell and Macey Keath posted the top finishes Saturday for the Bison as they each earned silver medals. Russell swam the 200 back in 2 minutes, 1.65 seconds, garnering her a third individual top-four finish at the Patriot League Championships. Keath, the school record holder in the 200 breast, timed in at 2:17.95 to record her best individual showing of the Championships. On Friday, she finished third in the 100 breast and fourth in the 400 IM.

Courtney Warren, who won the 100 back for the second time in three years on Friday, continued her strong meet Saturday with a third-place showing in the 100 free. Her time of 51.18 was a personal best and ranks her third on the school's top-10 list. Goebel was just .14 seconds behind in fourth place. During the prelims she swam a 51.29, placing her fifth in program history.

The Bison had four scorers in the 1,650 free as Jamie Chakany, Kelly Purcell, Anna Griest and Christine Shepherd each finished in the top 10 of the race. Chakany's third-place showing topped all Bison. She touched the wall in 16:55.75, less than seven seconds off her own school record. Purcell (17:13.35) and Griest (17:14.26) now rank fourth and fifth in program history as they finished sixth and seventh, respectively, on Saturday.

Senior divers Rebecca Bersani and Allison FitzPatrick contributed mightily to Bucknell's highest point total since it won the 2006 title to conclude its run of four championships in a row. Bersani placed third in the one-meter diving competition with a season-best score of 241.65. One place behind her was FitzPatrick, who registered a 233.10, just over four points off her career-best figure. Both divers improved upon their preliminary placing as Bersani was fourth and FitzPatrick sixth in the early afternoon diving.

Overall, on Saturday, 20 different Bison scored points, with 10 of them earning top-eight finishes.

Bucknell has now finished in the top three at the Patriot League Championships 10 consecutive years. The Bison, who were in second place following each day of competition this weekend, finished third each of the last two years.

Team Scores
1. Navy - 887
2. Bucknell - 687
3. Colgate - 675.5
4. Lehigh - 317.5
5. Army - 311.5
6. American - 287.5
7. Lafayette - 162
8. Holy Cross - 155

New Top-10 Times
1,650 free (4. Kelly Purcell - 17:13.35; 5. Anna Griest - 17:14.26)
200 back (8. Abigail Paules - 2:04.96)
100 free (3. Courtney Warren - 51.18; 5. Molly Goebel - 51.29)
200 breast (5. Elizabeth Porcellio - 2:22.54)
400 free relay (2. Warren, Atkinson, Mongan, Goebel - 3:27.73)

Bucknell Results
Abigail Atkinson
200 back prelims - 4th, 2:02.98
200 back finals - 6th, 2:03.64

Rebecca Bersani
1-meter diving prelims: 4th, 231.10
1-meter diving finals: 3rd, 241.65

Kristen Bucaria
200 fly prelims - 14th, 2:09.54
200 fly finals - 13th, 2:09.40

Jamie Chakany
1,650 free finals - 3rd, 16:55.75

Allison FitzPatrick
1-meter diving prelims: 6th, 220.00
1-meter diving finals: 4th, 233.10

Molly Goebel
100 free prelims - 2nd, 51.29
100 free finals - 4th, 51.32

Anna Griest
1,650 free finals - 7th, 17:14.26

Macey Keath
200 breast prelims - 2nd, 2:19.28
200 breast finals - 2nd, 2:17.95

Megan Mongan
100 free prelims - 9th, 52.49
100 free finals - 9th, 52.09

Sinead O'Dwyer
200 back prelims - 13th, 2:07.91
200 back finals - 13th, 2:07.36

Morgan Oxley
200 breast prelims - 15th, 2:27.42
200 breast finals - 15th, 2:27.43

Abigail Paules
200 back prelims - 11th, 2:06.97
200 back finals - 9th, 2:04.96