Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Invitational - Finals
Pontecorvo, Norton Post Wins on Final Day of Bucknell Invitational as Bison Women's Swimming and Diving Captures Team Title
11/20/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Nov. 20, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Sophomore Kelly Pontecorvo set school records in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 1,650 freestyle and freshman Emily Norton won the 200 breaststroke with the third-best time in school history as the Bison women's swimming and diving team built on its 50-point cushion entering the day and won the three-day Bucknell Invitational by nearly 200 points over runner-up Fordham.
Pontecorvo, who took second in the 500 free earlier in the weekend, entered Sunday's competition listing in the top three in the Bucknell record books in three events (500 free, 1,000 free, 1,650 free), but did not yet have a school record of her own. That changed Sunday when she won the 1,650 free in 16:45.08, beating Jamie Chakany's 2009 record by more than three seconds. Her 1,000 split time of 10:08.09 also moved her atop that list, giving her two school records in one race. Melissa Besman (7th) and Christine Shepherd(11th) also scored in the race, while Pontecorvo later swam the 200 back and finished 24th, earning one point for the team tally.
Norton, who finished fourth in the 100 breast earlier in the weekend, had an impressive showing to win the 200 breast. She timed in at 2:19.36, good for third in the school record book, and 2.36 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor in the race. Classmate Meg Lattimerwas six spots behind Norton and she recorded the ninth-best mark in program history (2:25.67).
Emily Wright (2nd) and Lauren Perry (4th) gave the Bison two finishers in the top half of the 100 free "A" final, while Jennifer Brennan (4th) was Bucknell's top finisher in the 200 back. Stephanie Koziol was seventh in that race, but the most noticeable performance came from Sydney Schroeder, who won the "B" final in a time of 2:05.49 that ranks ninth in program history. If she had qualified for the "A" final she would have finished fifth overall with that time.
Alex Panzarino took home fifth in the 200 fly and the 400 free relay of Wright, Kaitlyn Utkewicz, Caroline Higginsand Perry was fourth to round out the list of Bucknell's top finishers in each of the six swimming events contested Sunday.
Katie Hetheringtonplaced second off the one-meter diving board with her second-best score of the year, a 257.45. That is just over seven points shy of the school record she set last month in her first collegiate meet.
Interestingly, Bucknell's top finisher in each of the seven events on the final day of the Bucknell Invitational was a freshmen or sophomore, and that includes the relay team that was composed of three sophomores and one rookie.
The Bison will return to dual-meet competition in two weeks when they will travel to Philadelphia, Pa., to take on La Salle Dec. 3.
Team Scores
1. Bucknell - 1351
2. Fordham - 1159.5
3. Delaware - 1090.5
4. Colgate - 1041.5
5. Georgetown - 989.5
6. La Salle - 950
7. Susquehanna - 12
