Hetherington Finishes Second Off Three-Meter Board as Bucknell Women's Swimming and Diving Sits Third After First Day of PL Championships

Thursday, February 16

Annapolis, Md.

6:00 PM

Bucknell University

Patriot League Championships

Hetherington Finishes Second Off Three-Meter Board as Bucknell Women's Swimming and Diving Sits Third After First Day of PL Championships

2/16/2012 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving

By: TBD

Feb. 16, 2012

Results | Live Results | Live Video

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Freshman Katie Hetherington finished second off the three-meter diving board to lead three Bison in the top seven of the event and Kelly Pontecorvoposted the second-best time in school history in the 500-yard freestyle, helping the Bucknell women's swimming and diving team to a third-place listing following the first day of the Patriot League Championships Thursday at Navy's Lejeune Hall. The host Mids are in first place with 259 points, while defending champion Colgate sits second with 212. The Bison are close behind in third with 185 points.

Hetherington led a strong group of Bucknell freshman divers off the three-meter board with a finals score of 268.25, her third-best mark of the year. Hetherington had won the prelims during the afternoon with a 258.90, .70 ahead of eventual champion Courtney Vandament.

Hetherington, who was attempting to become the first-ever Bison diver to win a Patriot League title, was joined in the finals by classmates Tara Boyle and Tori Molchany, who finished fifth and seventh, respectively. That trio contributed 43 points to the Bucknell team total.

Pontecorvo was Bucknell's top finisher in the 500 free, placing fifth, but her time of 4:56.61 moved her from third to second in school history. She has now finished in the top eight in the 500 free two straight years after touching the wall seventh as a freshman last February.

Elizabeth Porcellio led the way for the Bison in the 200 IM, finishing eighth. It was her sixth career top-eight showing at the Patriot League Championships, and her third straight in the 200 IM. Jennifer Brennanfinished two spots behind Porcellio, but moved into 10th on the program's all-time list with a time of 2:08.40, .48 faster than her previous season best.

Freshmen were strong all day for the Bison as rookie Lauren Perry finished fourth in the 50 free to pace all Bucknell swimmers in the event. Her prelim time of 23.85 ranks her eighth in program annals. Sophomore Emily Wrighttouched the wall seventh in the race, her third career top-eight Patriot League Championships finish.

Of Bucknell's seven student-athletes to make it to the "A" final of their respective events Thursday, four were freshmen, two were sophomores and one was a junior.

The Bison were successful in the relays on Thursday, finishing fourth in the 200 free relay and third in the 400 medley relay. Both groups set new program top-10 times. Wright, Perry, Porcellio and Kaitlyn Utkewicz teamed up to post the sixth-best mark in program history in the 200 free relay, while Brennan, Wright, Kaitlyn Sweeneyand Perry recorded the sixth-fastest time in the 400 medley relay.

The Patriot League Championships will continue Friday at Navy. Prelims begin at 10:30 a.m. and finals commence at 6 p.m.

Team Scores
1. Navy - 259
2. Colgate - 212
3. Bucknell - 185
4. Army - 154
5. American - 86
6. Lehigh - 85
7. Lafayette - 66
8. Holy Cross - 45

New Top-10 Times
50 free (8. Lauren Perry - 23.85)
500 free (2. Kelly Pontecorvo - 4:56.51)
200 IM (10. Jennifer Brennan - 2:08.40)
200 free relay (6. Wright, Perry, Porcellio, Utkewicz - 1:35.45)
400 medley relay (6. Brennan, Wright, Sweeney, Perry - 3:51.54)

Bucknell Results
Melissa Besman
500 free prelims - 11th, 5:02.49
500 free finals - 13th, 5:04.95

Tara Boyle
3-M diving prelims - 6th, 222.40
3-M diving finals - 5th, 225.90

Jennifer Brennan
200 IM prelims - 15th, 2:09.64
200 IM finals - 10th, 2:08.40

Anna Griest
500 free prelims - 13th, 5:06.61
500 free finals - 12th, 5:04.90

Katie Hetherington
3-M diving prelims - 1st, 258.90
3-M diving finals - 2nd, 268.25

Meg Lattimer
200 IM prelims - 24th, 2:12.25

Tori Molchany
3-M diving prelims - 8th, 219.80
3-M diving finals - 7th, 210.05

Emily Norton
50 free prelims - 33rd, 25.50

Morgan Oxley
200 IM prelims - 27th, 2:13.69

Alex Panzarino
200 IM prelims - 13th, 2:09.39
200 IM finals - 13th, 2:09.43

Lauren Perry
50 free prelims - 5th, 23.85
50 free finals - 4th, 23.91

Kelly Pontecorvo
500 free prelims - 4th, 4:58.28
500 free finals - 5th, 4:56.51