Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Swimming and Diving Teams Host George Washington Saturday in First Scored Meet of Year
10/20/2011 8:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 20, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's and women's swimming and diving teams will host George Washington on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. at Kinney Natatorium. It will be the first scored meet of the year for both teams. Prior to the meet a new Patriot League institutional banner display will be dedicated in honor of former Bison swimming team captain John Hoffman '05, who passed away last November after a courageous battle with brain cancer.
Bucknell will be facing the Colonials three weeks after its season-opening meet against UMBC, where the Bison men captured 14 of 22 events against the Retrievers. Although that meet featured a non-traditional lineup of events, Bucknell remained strong with Mike Nicholson and Christian Treat winning a team-high three events apiece. Thanks to his sweep of the 100, 200 and 400 individual medley races, Nicholson was named the year's first Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Week.
The Bison men have faced George Washington only one other time, and that came last October in Washington, D.C. Bucknell defeated the Colonials by a 157-100 margin. Nicholson won the 1,000 free and 200 fly, while Eric Sokolosky swept the 50 and 100 free races. Thomas Brown also posted victories in a pair of backstroke events.
The women's team started the season strong against UMBC as well with three different double-winners. Sophomore Kelly Pontecorvo and freshmen Katie Hetherington and Lauren Perry led the Bison in a meet where six different women combined for nine first-place finishes. Hetherington had the standout performance of the meet, breaking the one-meter diving school record by more than six points with a score of 264.68. She also posted the fourth-best mark in program history off the three-meter board (252.53) as she swept the two diving events. Hetherington was named the Patriot League Female Diver of the Week following her debut performance.
Like the men, the women's first-ever meeting with George Washington came last October and the Bison posted a 151.5-105.5 victory. Jennifer Brennan won the 100 and 200 back, while Pontecorvo claimed first in the 1,000 free and second in the 500 free for Bucknell.
George Washington's men's and women's teams have both already had multiple competitions this year. The men finished third of seven teams at the Potomac Relays, while the women took second at the same event. Both squads also squared off against American and Catholic in a two-day, unscored tri-meet.
Both Bison squads will be idle for two weeks following Saturday's meet. They will begin the Patriot League portion of their schedule Nov. 5 when they face American, Lafayette and Navy in Annapolis, Md. It will be the first of two regular-season trips to Navy prior to February's Patriot League Championships, which the Mids will host.
