Bucknell Invite: Day Three

LEWISBURG, Pennsylvania, December 7. MEGAN Mongan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) finished second in the 100-yard freestyle and the Bucknell women's swimming and diving team had at least one top-four finish in four of the five individual swimming events Sunday during the final day of the Bucknell Open. The strong conclusion to the weekend-long event helped the Bison hold onto second place in the seven-team field.

Princeton easily won the team title, totaling 2,002 points. The Bison were second with 1,400, while Brown (1,134.5), La Salle (905.5) and Rider (820) rounded out the top five.

Bucknell swimmers combined for 11 top-10 finishes in the five individual events Sunday. Six top-five showings, including Mongan's runner-up finish in the 100 free, highlighted the day that featured 502 team points for the Bison. Mongan swam the distance in 51.95 seconds, just .10 off her career-best mark. Molly Goebel (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan), who took second in the 50 free on Friday, was not far behind in fourth place. Mongan's second-place finish equaled the best by a Bison during the three-day meet.

Two new top-10 times were recorded on Sunday as well. Freshman Elizabeth Porcellio (Fairport, N.Y./Penfield) took eighth in the 200 breaststroke in 2:25.47, but that mark is good enough for seventh on Bucknell's all-time list. Additionally, the 400 free relay squad of Courtney Warren (Montour Falls, N.Y./Watkins Glen), Mongan, Goebel and Abigail Atkinson (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) that features three seniors and a junior swam a 3:30.70, equaling it for third on Bucknell's top-10 list.

Bucknell was successful in the 1,650 free, claiming four of the top nine spots. The top finisher was Jamie Chakany (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), who owns the Bison record in the event and touched the wall fourth in 17:09.39. Anna Griest (Atlanta, Ga./The Westminster School), Kelly Purcell (Barnesville, Pa./Mahanoy Area) and Christine Shepherd (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) finished consecutively at 7-8-9.

Lauren Russell (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) and Atkinson scored some points for the Bison in the 200 back as they finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Macey Keath (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) also posted a fourth-place showing in the 200 breast, while Alexandra Psaris (Waterford, Va./The Madeira School) was Bucknell's lone top-10 finisher in the 200 butterfly, claiming 10th.

The women's one-meter competition concluded diving on Sunday and Allison FitzPatrick (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) was Bucknell's top finisher. The senior listed seventh with a score of 223.05.

Scoring for the Bucknell Open was done through 24 places with each individual event having an "A", "B" and "C" final.

Eric Sokolosky (Branford, Conn./Branford), who finished second in the 50-yard freestyle on Friday night, equaled the Bucknell men's swimming and diving team's best finish on Sunday during the final day of the weekend-long Bucknell Open as he took third in the 100 free. Sokolosky's performance helped the Bison finish third in the seven-team field with 1,100 points.

Princeton, which led wire-to-wire, won with 1,609 points, while Columbia, which was fourth in the standings entering Sunday, was second with 1,125.5. Brown (1,025 points) and La Salle (1,019.5) were within 100 points of Bucknell.

Sokolosky was just .39 behind his career-best time in the 100 free and finished third in the event, earning 27 team points for the Bison. He was also a member of the 400 free relay that placed fourth to conclude the three-day event.

Freshman Billy Krause (Huntington Bay, N.Y./St. Anthony's) matched Sokolosky with a third-place showing in the 200 breaststroke. He was one of four Bison in the top 12 in the event. Fifth-place Michael Volpe (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) was less than a second behind Krause's time of 1 minute, 55.43 seconds, while Matthew Segar (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) took ninth. His time of 1:55.72 won the "B" final and was actually faster than Volpe, who swam in the "A" final.

Bucknell also had a strong showing in the 200 backstroke, where it earned 93 of its 371 points Sunday. David Iselin (Potomac, Md./Churchill), who swam a 1:52.87, led the way with a fourth-place finish, while Daniel Fletcher (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) took sixth. Gonzalo DeLeon (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) won the "B" final with a time .18 faster than Iselin, but was listed ninth overall.

Luke Trafton (5th in 1,650 free) and Jonathan Podniesinski (8th in 200 breast) rounded out the list of Bucknell's nine top-10 finishes Sunday.

Scoring for the Bucknell Open was done through 24 places with each individual event having an "A", "B" and "C" final.

A total of six events were contested Sunday and Princeton claimed five of them.

A total of seven events were contested Saturday and Princeton won five of them.

The Bison will be idle until next calendar year when they travel to Hamilton, N.Y., to face Patriot League rival Colgate on Jan. 9.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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