Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Invite
Handley Breaks 100 Breaststroke Record, Women Jump to Third on Day Two of Home Invitational
12/2/2023 9:26:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
LEWISBURG, Pa. – First-year Kate Handley became the first Bucknell women's swimmer to break 63 seconds in the 100 breaststroke, breaking Diana Hanson's 2016 record (1:03.02) with a 1:02.47 in Saturday evening's finals. She was one of three to record a new program top-10 time, as the Bison moved up from fourth place to third after the second day of the Bucknell Invitational.
Bucknell ended the second evening of the three-day meet strong, finishing runner-up in the 800 freestyle. It was one of three events the Bison placed among the top three in on Saturday. Bucknell jumped Davidson and now has 877 points entering the final six events on Sunday. Fordham is in second with 919.5 points, and UConn is in first with 1,067.5.
Handley, a native of Weston, Mass., had already earned a spot on Bucknell's all-time top-10 performance list earlier in the day when she posted a 1:03.52 in the 100 breaststroke prelims. She beat that time by more than a second in the finals and finished behind only Fordham juniors Emma Shaughnessy (1:01.95) and Ainhoa Martin (1:02.27).
Bucknell sophomore Hanna Bingley made her mark on the 100 breaststroke top 10 list as well, as she posted a 1:03.08 in the prelims to rank fourth in program history in the event. Bingley finished fifth in the finals with a 1:03.19. First-year Samantha Benzija posted a top-10 performance in the 100 butterfly with a 55.87, which ranks eighth in the record book and was good enough for sixth in the A finals on Saturday.
Rylie Giles, Sydney Dettmann, Ashley Piacentino and Caroline McGann recorded a 7:31.43 in the 800 freestyle relay to give the team 44 points and its highest finish of the meet so far at second. Giles took third in the 200 freestyle with a 1:51.15 to round out Bucknell's top-three placers.
Along with their contributions to the relay, Dettmann and McGann were two of three Bison to reach the A final in the 200 freestyle. Dettmann scored fourth-place points with a 1:51.50, McGann placed sixth with a 1:53.33, and Jennifer Bolden took eighth in the event with a 1:58.64.
Bucknell's 200 medley relay team, consisting of Esme Hunter, Bingley, Megan Leyden and Kayla Lichtner, placed fifth with a 1:43.35. Kelly Byrne and Kyla Kelly in the 400 IM and Meghan Catherwood in the 1-meter dive each reached the A finals in their respective events Saturday as well.
The invitational wraps up at Kinney Natatorium on Sunday with the prelims beginning at 10 a.m. and the finals getting underway at 5 p.m.
New Program Top-10 Times
100 Breaststroke – Kate Handley (1:02.47) – School Record
100 Breaststroke – Hanna Bingley (1:03.08, prelims) – 4th in school history
100 Butterfly – Samantha Benzija (55.87) – 8th in school history
Second Place:
800 Freestyle Relay – Rylie Giles, Sydney Dettmann, Ashley Piacentino, Caroline McGann (7:31.43)
Third Place:
200 Freestyle – Rylie Giles (1:51.15)
100 Breaststroke – Kate Handley (1:02.47)
Fourth Place:
200 Freestyle – Sydney Dettmann (1:51.50)
100 Backstroke – Esme Hunter (55.57)
Fifth Place:
200 Medley Relay – Esme Hunter, Hanna Bingley, Megan Leyden, Kayla Lichtner (1:43.35)
100 Breaststroke – Hanna Bingley (1:03.19)
Sixth Place:
100 Butterfly – Samantha Benzija (55.87)
200 Freestyle – Caroline McGann (1:53.33)
Seventh Place:
400 IM – Kelly Byrne (4:28.41)
Eighth Place:
400 IM – Kyla Kelly (4:29.53)
200 Freestyle – Jennifer Bolden (1:58.64)
1-Meter Dive – Meghan Catherwood (2:15.20)
Players Mentioned
