Bucknell University Athletics
Lauren Perry Named Bison Athlete of the Week After Performance at PL Swimming and Diving Championships
2/25/2013 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 25, 2013
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell sophomore Lauren Perry (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) was named Bison Athlete of the Week on Monday after winning the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events at the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships, which took place at Kinney Natatorium. Perry broke the school record in both events and also placed sixth in the 50 free. Additionally, she was part of four relays that posted top-five times in program history.
A First Team All-Patriot League selection as a freshman in 2012, Perry's performance helped her accumulate 53 points during the three-day meet. That figured ranked second in the league to Navy senior Laura Gorinski, the Female Swimmer of the Meet.
Perry's two titles contributed to Bucknell's record-tying seven individual victories. The only other Bison team to have seven individual wins at one Patriot League Championships was the 2003 squad that won the program's first team trophy. This year's Bucknell team posted a second-place finish.
A two-time Bison Athlete of the Week in 2012-13, Perry and freshman teammate Emma Levendoski became the first pair of Bucknell teammates to win multiple individual gold medals since Lectie Altman and Rebecca Scheffter in 2005. No Bison had captured both the 100 and 200 free in the same Patriot League Championships since Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Margaret Grunow in 1991.
Perry capped the meet with possibly her most impressive performance, winning the 100 free on Saturday from lane one. She was tied for sixth in the prelims with a career-best time of 51.38 seconds, good for seventh in program history. Perry then shaved .52 off that time and won the finals by .13. Her time of 50.86 beat the school record held by Meghan Freese since 2004 by .10.
Perry's first career title came one day earlier when she won the 200 free. She won the prelims in a school-record time of 1:49.51, beating her previous school record by nearly two seconds. Perry then swam a 1:49.24 to win the final and earn her first career gold medal. Only one other person (Megan Mongan) in program history has swum the 200 free faster than 1:52.00.
The meet opened on Thursday and Perry's first individual race was the 50 free. She placed sixth in the finals with a time of 23.57. That figure places her fifth in program annals.
In addition to her two individual school records, Perry was part of the 400 medley and 800 free relays that set school records. The 800 free relay standard had stood since 2003.
Perry, who is the first Bison sophomore to win two Patriot League titles since Scheffter in 2005, has now competed in six individual events at the Patriot League Championships in her two-year career. She has finished first (100 free, 200 free in 2013), fourth (50 free, 100 free in 2012), sixth (50 free in 2013) and seventh (200 free in 2012).
Note: Bison freshman Emma Levendoski won the 100 and 200 back at the Patriot League Championships. She became just the second Bison freshman to win multiple events at the Patriot League meet, following Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Jen Myers, who won the 100 back, 200 back and 200 IM in 1995.
