Boyle, Levendoski and Perry Earn Gold Medals for Bucknell Women's Swimming and Diving on Second Day of PL Championships

Friday, February 22

Lewisburg, Pa.

6:00 PM

Bucknell University

Patriot League Championships Finals

Boyle, Levendoski and Perry Earn Gold Medals for Bucknell Women's Swimming and Diving on Second Day of PL Championships

2/22/2013 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving

By: TBD

Feb. 22, 2013

LEWISBURG, Pa. - In a banner day for Bucknell women's swimming and diving, Tara Boyle (one-meter diving), Emma Levendoski (100 back) and Lauren Perry (200 free) each collected gold medals Friday at the Patriot League Championships, which the Bison are hosting at Kinney Natatorium. It was the second career Patriot League victory for Boyle, while Perry and Levendoski were on the top of the podium for the first time.

In addition to first-place finishes in three of the six individual events held Friday, Bucknell saw three school records go down. Stephanie Koziol broke the 400-yard IM mark, Perry smashed her own 200 free standard and the 800 free relay beat the 10-year-old record by more than three seconds.

"It was a great day," said Bison head coach Dan Schinnerer, the two-time Patriot League Men's Coach of the Year. "Three wins. Three school records. Steph had a great swim. It was a great win by Emma. Lauren was awesome."

The Bison finished day two in third place in the team standings, just 24 points behind Colgate. Defending champion Navy is in first.

Bucknell's three event winners have plenty of chances to repeat in the future as Boyle and Perry, who were both First Team All-Patriot League selections a year ago, are sophomores, while Levendoski is a freshman competing in her first league championship meet. This is the first time at least three Bison have won gold medals at one Patriot League Championships since 2005. The last time two Bucknell student-athletes posted victories was 2006.

Boyle, just a sophomore, captured her second consecutive one-meter diving title for the Bison. After placing fourth in Thursday's prelims, she scored a 243.20 in the finals to beat out American's Melissa Parker. Last year Boyle became Bucknell's first-ever diver to win an event at the Patriot League Championships and this year she became the first Bison two-time winner.

"Winning back-to-back titles is tough, but even more so in diving where it is decided by fractions of a point," commented Schinnerer. "To be on her game and get the victory is a testament to Tara."

Perry, who swam the anchor leg of the record-breaking 800 free relay, had an outstanding day as she claimed first in the 200 free in both the prelims and finals. In the prelims she broke her own school record by nearly two seconds as she touched the wall in 1:49.51. She bettered that by .27 seconds in the finals as she claimed first by .31 seconds over Colgate's Lindsey Sagasta. Only one other Bison (Megan Mongan) has ever posted a 200 free time under 1:52.00.

"Lauren's performance just built up during the season," said Schinnerer. "She just took it to another level. You could see it coming, especially during January. The win was awesome, but a logical extension given her recent performance."

Perry has now competed in five Patriot League Championships events in her career and never finished lower than seventh.

Levendoski gave Bucknell a freshman with a gold medal for a second consecutive year following Boyle's win last February. Levendoski won the prelims in a time of 54.84, just .17 shy of her personal-best mark that ranks second in program history. She then won the finals with a 54.85. No other swimmer went under 56.00 on Friday as second-place Lia Kunnapas (Colgate) was 1.16 seconds behind Levendoski.

Levendoski, who finished 16th in the 50 free on Thursday, also swam the leadoff leg of the second-place 200 medley relay in 25.61 seconds, the fastest time in the field.

Koziol's record-breaking time in the 400 IM capped an impressive day for the sophomore. She won the 400 IM prelims in a record-breaking time of 4:21.46. She lowered that record to 4:19.87 in the finals, but touched the wall second, just .15 behind Colgate's Emma Santoro. Bucknell's previous 400 IM record was 4:22.58, held by Lauren Russell since 2010.

The 400 IM was Bucknell's deepest event of the day as six Bison qualified for the finals, led by Koziol. Elizabeth Porcellio (4th) and Alanna Nawrocki (5th) both posted new Bucknell top-10 times and helped give the Bison three of the race's top five finishers.

Emily Norton, Ashley Henderson and Morgan Oxley recorded three program top-10 times in the 100 breast. Norton's time of 1:04.27 placed her third in the race and third in the Bucknell record books.

Kristen Purdy was the top Bison finisher in the 100 fly, placing 10th. Her time of 57.39 ranks ninth in program annals.

The Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships will wrap up Saturday. Prelims are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., while finals are slated for 6 p.m. The entire event will be broadcast on Bison Vision. Live results are available via BucknellBison.com.

Team Scores
1. Navy - 534
2. Colgate - 445
3. Bucknell - 421
4. Army - 360
5. Lehigh - 219
6. Lafayette - 126
7. Holy Cross - 94
8. American - 72

New Top-10 Times
400 IM (1. Stephanie Koziol - 4:19.87; 4. Elizabeth Porcellio - 4:24.83; 6. Alanna Nawrocki - 4:27.39)
100 fly (9. Kristen Purdy - 57.39)
200 free (1. Lauren Perry - 1:49.24; 6. Stephanie Koziol - 1:52.90 (relay split))
100 breast (3. Emily Norton - 1:04.27; 4. Ashley Henderson - 1:04.28; 8. Morgan Oxley - 1:06.33)
100 back (2. Emma Levendoski - 54.84)
200 medley relay (3. Levendoski, Oxley, Henderson, Wright - 1:43.41)
800 free relay (1. Koziol, Porcellio, Pontecorvo, Perry - 7:32.03)