Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships Finals
Levendoski Finishes PL Career 8-for-8 in Backstroke Events, Bison Finish 4th in Team Standings
2/20/2016 10:27:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – One day after winning her fourth consecutive Patriot League gold medal in the 100-yard backstroke, Bucknell senior Emma Levendoski completed her Patriot League career a perfect 8-for-8 in backstroke events as she captured her fourth straight gold in the 200 back on Saturday on the final day of the league championship meet.
Also highlighting Saturday's competition for the Bison were school records in the 100 free by Abigail Rosenberg, 200 fly by Julianna Foss and the 400 free relay by Rosenberg, Brittany Bishop, Steph Boyd and Rachel Perry. Foss finished second in the 200 fly to take home a silver medal.
Bucknell finished in fourth place in the team standings, trailing five-time champion Navy, runner-up Army West Point and Boston University. The Bison finished with 419 points, 15 ahead of fifth-place Lehigh. This is the fourth time Bucknell has finished in fourth place at the league meet.
Levendoski continues to etch her name into both the Bucknell and Patriot League record books. Last year she became the program's first Division I NCAA qualifier, and now she has joined Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Jennifer Myers as the only swimmers in league history to sweep the 200 back over four years. Levendoski is tied for third in Bucknell history with her eight career conference titles, trailing only Margaret Grunow (12) and Myers (9).
Levendoski is just the second swimmer in Patriot League history to win two different events four times, joining Navy's Laura Gorinski, who won both the 100 and 200 breast from 2010 to 2013. Levendoski beat out three Navy swimmers for first place on Saturday, touching the wall 1.20 seconds ahead of Kaitlyn O'Reilly in 1:56.90. She also won the prelim of the 200 back.
Like the 100 back was on Friday, the 200 back proved to be an important event for the Bison as four swimmers scored points. Julie Byrne finished in fifth place, Stephanie Boyd was in 11th and Caroline Orem placed 16th. Perry just missed scoring points, finishing 17th in the prelims. Byrne's prelim time of 1:59.59 ranks third in program history, while Boyd's prelim time (2:02.30) is good for 10th place.
Just a sophomore, Foss is already a six-time Patriot League scorer after her career-best second-place showing in the 200 fly. She broke her own school record in the event, finishing in 2:00.26, a full 1.62 seconds below her best entering the day. Foss finished seventh in both the 100 fly and 200 IM earlier this week.
Emily Andrews (13th) and Lindsay Smalec (14th) also scored in the 200 fly and both recorded program top-10 times in the process.
The Bison 400 free relay team concluded the championships with a school record and it was a young group with three freshmen and one junior (Perry). Rosenberg set the school record (50.84) in the 100 free on the leadoff leg and the group timed in at 3:25.78 to finish in fifth place.
Rosenberg was also Bucknell's top finisher in the 100 free, finishing eighth. Bishop also scored in the event with a 15th-place showing. Bishop's prelim time of 51.54 ranks 10th in school history.
The Bison also had two scorers apiece in the 1,650 free and 200 breast. Paige Daniel (10th) and Leanne Archer (15th) scored in the 1,650, while Leah Bloodgood (7th) and Mary Weinstein (15th) scored in the 200 breast. Daniel's time (17:16.23) ranks 10th in program annals, while Bloodgood's 2:21.27 ranks ninth on that list.
The three-meter diving competition was also held on Saturday and Tally Ford (12th) and Lara Curtis (15th) scored for the Bison.
While the Patriot League Championships are complete, the Bison season is not finished. Bucknell will compete at the ECAC Championships next weekend, which will also take place at Navy's Lejeune Hall.
Team Scores
1. Navy – 958.5
2. Army West Point – 556
3. Boston U. – 537.5
4. Bucknell – 419
5. Lehigh – 404
6. Colgate – 206
7. Loyola – 187
8. American – 167
9. Lafayette – 110
10. Holy Cross – 84
New Top-10 Marks
200 back (3. Julie Byrne – 1:59.59; 10. Steph Boyd – 2:02.30)
100 free (1. Abigail Rosenberg – 50.84; 10. Brittany Bishop – 51.54)
200 breast (9. Leah Bloodgood – 2:21.27)
200 fly (1. Julianna Foss – 2:00.26; 6. Lindsay Smalec – 2:04.87; 7. Emily Andrews – 2:05.14;)
1,650 free (10. Paige Daniel – 17:16.23)
400 free relay (1. Abigail Rosenberg, Brittany Bishop, Steph Boyd, Rachel Perry – 3:25.78)
Players Mentioned
