NCAA Div. I: Bucknell Sweeps Patriot League titles

LEWISBURG, Pa., Feb. 23. FOR the first time in Patriot League history, the men's and women's teams from the same school took home both Swimming & Diving titles. The Bucknell Bison captured the first PL crown in school history in convincing fashion at the 2003 Championships, which took place at the Arthur D. Kinney Natatorium on the campus of Bucknell University.

The Championship was one of record-breaking proportions with 18 meet marks falling at the three-day event, including four records on the final day. American senior Mark Liscinsky took home Men's Swimmer of the Meet accolades for the second time in as many years with victories in the 200 backstroke, 200 freestyle and the 200 individual medley. All three of his performances broke League Championship records, including a League mark of 1:45.86 in the 200 back Saturday.

The Bison, who were 7-0 during the regular-season, ran away with the women's crown, piling up 812.50 points to top last year's winner Navy by 237.50 markers. Lehigh came in third with 520 points, followed by Colgate (494), Army (431), American (300.50), Holy Cross (193) and Lafayette (157).

Leading the charge for the Bucknell women was Meghan Freese and Darby Golino, all of which picked up their second individual event win of the Championship Saturday. Freese broke League record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 51.09, which also provisionally qualifies her for the NCAA Championships. This is the second time this week that Freese has hit the "B" standard. Freese broke the League and meet marks during the morning session with a time of 51.08.

Golino led a 1-2 Bucknell finish in the 200 backstroke by breaking the meet record with a mark of 2:02.27, besting teammate Lectie Altman by less than half a second. Rounding out the list of BU women on the final day is Jamie Flick, who won the 200 breaststroke by more than three seconds over Colgate's Meghan Binder.

The Bucknell men garnered 701 points to edged Lehigh (632.50), American (580.50), Army (564), Colgate (365), Lafayette (342) and Holy Cross (183). Peter Garvin, who won the 100 freestyle (45.58), headlined the list of Bison performers, while Mark Kretzer was the 200 butterfly champion with
a time of 1:52.66.

Navy freshman Jenn Windstein captured Women's Swimmer of the Meet honors after winning all three individual events that she swam at the Championship. Saturday, the rookie broke the meet and League record in the 1,650 freestyle with an NCAA provisional time of 16:55.03. Her time breaks the 1997 record of 17:04.64 set by Army's Carolyn Harris. Windstein also picked up the gold medal in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:05.28.

In the diving well, Army took home all three major diving awards. Freshmen Doug Klein and Chelsea Haviland were tabbed the Men's and Women's Diver of the Meet, respectively, while Black Knight diving coach Jonathan Johnson was named by his peers as the 2003 Patriot League Diving Coach of the Year. Klein won the three-meter event on the opening day of competition and followed it up with a third-place marker in the one-meter dive today. Haviland, who claimed the one-meter title Friday, made it a clean sweep on the women's side with 454.20 points in the three-meter event today.

Other winner on the final day of the 2003 Patriot League Championships include Colgate's Rich Derrick, who won the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 16:02.96. Derrick was more than eight seconds quicker than runner-up Todd Bauer of Bucknell. The American men continued to dominate the breaststroke with a 1-2 finish in the 200 Saturday night. Ethan Bassett edged fellow Eagle Dominick Szabo by .35 seconds to win in a League and meet record time of 2:00.01. Both Bassett and Szabo, who posted a 2:00.36, provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championship.

The final event of the 2003 Championship saw the Navy women and the American men take home the 400 freestyle relay titles. The Midshipmen, led by Tori Throckmorton and Allison Moon, registered a mark of 3:29.85 to out-touch Army by more than two seconds. The Eagles turned in a time of
3:03.76.

The Patriot League, which was founded on the principles of admitting athletes who are academically representative of their class, is in its second decade of academic and athletic excellence. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of the undergraduate experience. The Patriot League, which began as a successful Division I-AA football conference in 1986 and became an all-sport conference in 1990, includes American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy as full members and six associate members. These institutions are among the oldest and most prestigious in the nation and their alumni that have played leadership roles in the shaping of our country. In the most recent NCAA Graduation Rate Report of student-athletes, the Patriot League ranked FIRST among NCAA Division I conferences.

Men's Standings
1. Bucknell 701
2. Lehigh 632.5
3. American 580.5
4. Army 564
5. Colgate 365
6. Lafayette 342
7. Holy Cross 183

Women's Standings
1. Bucknell 812.5
2. Navy 575
3. Lehigh 520
4. Colgate 494
5. Army 431
6. American 300.5
7. Holy Cross 193
8. Lafayette 157

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