Rutgers vs. James Madison

HARRISONBURG, Virginia, January 20. THE James Madison women's swimming and diving team celebrated Senior Day in style as it knocked off previously unbeaten Rutgers 161-139 in a dual meet held at Savage Natatorium on Friday afternoon.

JMU won eight of the 16 events to run its record to 13-2 in dual meets while handing Rutgers its first loss and dropping it to 7-1 on the year.

The Dukes were paced by senior Eva Hannesdottir (Seltjarnarnes, Iceland/Kvennaskolinn) after she won two individual events and placed third in another. Hannesdottir outraced the field in the 50-yard freestyle to finish with a time of 24.11. Fellow senior Catalina Mendieta (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas) came in second at 24.30.

Hannesdottir also finished first in the 100 free in a time of 51.65 while coming in third in the 200 free (1:54.31). Sophomore Kelsey Holmgaard (Roanoke, Va./George Mason) was the team's top finisher in the event, coming in second with a time of 1:52.62.

Mendieta and Hannesdottir teamed up with junior Anna Susko (Roxbury, N.J./Roxbury) and sophomore Shannon Dubay (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor) to seal the win in the meet's final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay. The team turned in the 6th-fastest time in school history at 3:29.39.

In the 200-yard medley relay in was the team of Mendieta, Holmgaard, junior Caroline Burns (Severna Park, Md./Severn School) and freshman Sin Hye Won (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) take took first with a time of 1:45.04. It was the fifth-best time in school history.

Senior diver Nicole Jotso (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) celebrated her final home meet by claiming first in both diving events. The native of New York scored a career-best 317.92 on the 1-meter while narrowly edging junior teammate Kimberly Helfrich (Fort Belvoir, Va./West Springfield) on the 3-meter. Jotso scored a 301.88 with Helfrich recording a 299.03.

JMU's final two wins came in the 500 and 1,000-yard freestyle events. In the 500 free, freshman Aimee Hooper (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) battled Rutgers' Jacquelyn Ward the entire way, narrowly edging the senior by .52 seconds. Hooper touched the wall at 4:58.54.

Hooper was part of a trio of Dukes that claimed the top three spots in the 1,000 free. Senior Melissa Helock (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains Fanwood) timed a 10:15.47 to finish first followed by sophomore Morgan Johnson (Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock) (10:20.54) and Hooper (10:20.80). Johnson and Hooper's times were each career-best marks and rank as the fifth and sixth-best times in school history.

The Dukes return to the pool in two weeks when they travel to Blacksburg, Va. for the Virginia Tech Invitational on Feb. 4-5.

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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