For Immediate Release
January 24, 2009
Wellesley Sports Information
Courtesy Vassar Sports Information
Wellesley Swimming & Diving in First on Day One of Seven Sisters
Session One Results
Session Two Results
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. –Although Vassar College claimed nine victories in the first 13 events, the all-around depth of 11-time defending champion Wellesley College gave it the edge after Saturday’s competition at the 2009 Seven Sisters Swimming & Diving Championships at Kresge Pool.
Wellesley scored 709.5 points in the first 13 events, followed by Vassar in second place with 669 points. Smith College is in third (429 points), followed by Mount Holyoke College (371.5) and Bryn Mawr College (145).
The Seven Sisters Swimming & Diving Championships will conclude tomorrow with 3 Meter diving and Session III of swimming.
The Brewers started the day off on a high note, winning the first three events and four out of five in Session I. Vassar’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay ‘A’ team, comprised of freshman Caroline Shannon (Scarsdale, NY/Hackley School), sophomore Samantha Jones (Hanover, MA/Hanover), senior Jess Lentner (Florence, MA/Northampton), and junior Megan McCarty (Wilton, CT/Wilton) finished in a winning time of 1:44.37 to earn the Brewer 40 quick points. The Smith ‘A’ relay team placed second in 1:46.71, followed by Wellesley’s ‘A’ team in 1:47.68.
In the second event, Vassar again came out on top, as senior Emily Love (South Windsor, CT/South Windsor) dominated the field in the 500 Yard Freestyle. Love’s time of 5:20.16, was over six seconds faster than the second-place finisher from Wellesley, Dana Dutton (Anacortes, WA/Anacortes), who finished in 5:26.81, followed by teammate Emilie Mitten (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk).
Vassar’s Shannon earned her second first place finish of the morning, with a win in the 200 Yard IM, finishing in 2:17.85. Teammate Koenker followed Shannon in third, in 2:20.60 and Smith’s Lily Sidman (Westfield, IN/Westfield) placed second (2:19.17). Wellesley's Dutton broke up a Vassar sweep of Session I with a win in the 50 Yard Freestyle. Dutton won with a time of 26.23, narrowly edging Vassar’s Megan McCarty (Wilton, CT/Wilton) who finished in 26.34. Mount Holyoke’s Lydia Bowers (Scotland, CT/Norwich Free Academy) placed a close third, in 26.41.
The Brewers rounded out their strong morning session with a convincing win in the 400 Yard Medley Relay. The ‘A’ team of Love, senior Allison Koenker (Huntington Beach, CA/Marina), Jones, and Lentner notched a winning time of 4:14.01, over ten seconds faster than the Wellesley ‘A’ team, which finished second in 4:24.79. The Smith ‘A’ team notched a third place finish in 4:26.59.
Wellesley’s Kate Sorenson (Bolton, MA/Hollis/Brookline) won Saturday’s diving 1 Meter diving event, with a score of 474.00. Alexis Roehrich (Eau Claire, WI/Memorial) scored 382.80 to place second, followed by Vassar’s Amelia Couture (Brewton, AL/T.R. Miller). All three made the NCAA B cut with their scores.
Vassar started the second session off strong as well, placing first in the 200 Yard Medley Relay. The ‘A’ team of Love, Koenker, McCarty, and Lentner finished in 1:55.26, while Mount Holyoke’s ‘A’ team placed second in 2:00.05. The ‘A’ team from Wellesley swam to a close third, in 2:01.46.
Vassar continued its winning ways in the next event, as Koenker won the 400 Yard IM in 4:49.28, followed by teammate Shannon in 4:51.62. Smith’s Reyna Levine (Kalamazoo, MI/Loy Norrix) finished in 5:08.05 for third place.
Smith won the 100 Yard Butterfly, as Seidman finished in 1:02.46. Vassar claimed the next two spots, as Jones finished in 1:03.23, followed by McCarty (1:04.22).
Love brought home another win for Vassar in the 200 Yard Freestyle, finishing in 1:58.31, followed by Smith’s Christine Dzialo (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) in 2:03.97 and Mitten of Wellesley (2:05.20).
Shannon and Koenker switched places for another Vassar 1-2 finish in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, as Shannon won in 1:12.67, followed closely by Koenker (1:12.91). Lindsay Schonborn (Orinda, CA/Miramonte) of Mount Holyoke placed third in 1:13.61.
Love picked up her third individual win of the day for Vassar in the 100 Yard Backstroke, finishing in 1:00.54, with teammate Jones placing second in 1:04.30. Allie Williams (River Forest, IL/Oak Park & River Forest) of Wellesley notched a third place finish in 1:05.16.
Wellesley grabbed a big win in the final event of the day, picking up 40 point in the 800 Yard Freestyle Relay to give the Blue a bit of a cushion heading into the final day of competition. Wellesley’s ‘A’ team of Mitten, Laura Weir (Narberth, PA/Friends’ Central School), Stephanie Welch (Dedham, MA/Dedham), and Dutton swam a winning time of 8:31.02. The ‘A’ team from Smith placed second in 8:32.43, followed by Vassar’s ‘A’ team in 8:42. 63.