GETTYSBURG, Pa.--The Swarthmore Garnet women started day three of the Centennial Conference Championship only a point behind Dickinson for fourth place. After a hard fought evening session, the team held their ground to finish in fifth place with 379 total points.
The third evening began with the 1650-yard freestyle, the longest event of the weekend. Sydney Andersen (18:58.22) competed in the event for the Garnet, turning in a lifetime-best time to finish 17th.
Following the mile, three Garnet women swam in the evening session of the 200-yard backstroke. After setting a new program record in her morning swim,
Emily Bley (2:08.80) returned in finals joined by teammate Eric Flor (2:11.78). The pair turned in season-best times during the morning session and finished in fifth and eighth place in the evening session; Bley and Flor are now the two fastest 200 backstrokers in Swarthmore swimming history.
Jillian Haywood (2:14.84) swam to a new personal record in the morning session and competed in the consolation final, finishing 16th.
Scout Clark (2:14.69) barely missed the consolation final with an 18th-place finish and lifetime-best time.
Briana Schoenek (55.28),
Sophie Moody (55.36), and
Rose Ridder (55.79) narrowly missed swimming in the consolation final of the 100-yard freestyle with finishes in 17th, 18th, and 19th places in the morning session.
Diane Lee (56.66) swam to a 26th-place finish. Ridder notched a lifetime-best time in the event while Schoenek tallied a best time in her college career and Moody and Lee achieved season-best times.
The next event of the evening was the 200-yard breaststroke. The Swarthmore women looked to replicate their excellent performances in the 100-yard breaststroke from a night earlier. Again,
Maggie Eberts (2:27.24) led the way with a ninth-place finish followed by
Eva Winter (2:28.31) in 11th, Liz Staton (2:28.76) in 12th, and
Ashley Hwang (2:29.05) in 13th. Eberts, Winter, and Staton all notched lifetime-best times and Hwang achieved a new season-best time. All four swimmers are now in the top-ten 200 breaststrokers in Swarthmore swimming history.
After their excellent showing in the breaststroke, the women were on to the 200 yard butterfly.
Sarah Solomon (2:12.21) led the way with a ninth place finish and lifetime best time,
Amelia Tomei (2:15.25) followed in 11th also with a lifetime best time, Abby Byrne (2:17.14) finished in 13th place with a season best time, and
Margaret Luo (2:25.50) scored in 16th place with a new lifetime best time. Solomon is now the eighth fastest 200 butterflyer in program history.
There was only one final test left for the Swarthmore women following the 200 fly--the 400 yard freestyle relay. Coming at the end of a long, challenging meet, this event takes every last ounce of energy that the swimmers can muster. The Swarthmore teams came through with two final excellent swims to cap their meet as the A relay team of Moody, Hwang, Bley, and Eberts finished seventh with a time of 3:41.58 and the B relay team of Ridder, Staton, Haywood, and Schoenek finished 13th with a time of 3:42.91.
When the water settled after the final race of the weekend, the women earned fifth place with 379 total points. Along the way, the women set two new program records and achieved many new personal best times as they put together a fitting end to a fantastic season.
Results
