Saint Francis in Third-Place after Two Days of Competition at NEC Championships;
Trails Wagner College by a Half Point
New Haven, Conn. – In day one of the Northeast Conference Championships, SFU’s quarter of sophomore Elise Merrill (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring), senior Sirae Riley (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest), sophomore Blair Kosela (Crescent, Pa./Moon Area) and senior Jenn Jeffreys (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) turned in a third place finish for the day’s first event, the 200 yard freestyle relay. Their clock of 1:38.91 handed the Flash 24 points. That specific time of 1:38.91 also bested Saint Francis’ all-time record for the 200 freestyle relay set on February 17, 2005.
Event two, the 500 yard freestyle, had two members of the Red Flash turn in a collective 16 points for the overall SFU effort. Junior Kaitlin McDonald (Olney, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) tallied a sixth place finish for nine points with her time of 5:15.39, bettering her all-time top she set on February 15, 2007 when she raced for a 5:16.05 clip. Junior Cara Morgan (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) hit the wall for a seventh place time of 5:14.40, earning SFU seven points.
Sophomore Kristen Low (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park S.S.) hauled in 10 points in the 200 yard individual medley, finishing in fifth place with a pace of 2:13.46. Junior Jenna Raptosh (Akron, Pa./Ephrata) placed ninth with her tempo of 2:15.46, freshman Elyse Dobrick (Zelienople, Pa.) took home tenth by finishing up in 2:17.13 and sophomore Erin Collins (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) stood in eleventh with a time of 2:19.36. Raptosh, Dobrick and Collins netted four, three and two points, respectively for the Red Flash.
The NEC Championship’s fourth event, the 50 yard freestyle, had Jenn Jeffreys place the highest of all SFU swimmers. Jeffreys sprinted for a fifth place time of 25.11, good enough for 10 points. Sirae Riley touched the pad nanoseconds behind her teammate at 25.16 for seventh place (six points) and Blair Kosela produced four points by finishing ninth place with a dash of 25.20.
In the 400 yard medley relay, Saint Francis came in fourth place, churning out 22 points for the Red Flash’s efforts. The team of junior Katie Snyder (Dayton, Ohio/Butler), Elise Merrill, Elise Dobrick and Blair Kosela finalized a time of 4:08.12 for the Red Flash’s final event of day one.
Day two started off well for the Red Flash, as the foursome of sophomore Elyse Peterman (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain), Elise Dobrick, Elise Merrill and Jenn Jeffreys took home second place in the 200 yard medley relay. Their rate of 1:49.98 grossed 26 points for the Flash. Their second place clip set a new Red Flash record, bettering the old 200 yard medley relay time of 1:50.41 set on February 17, 2006.
The 400 yard individual medley was witness to four SFU members scoring points. Kristen Low placed finished with the fastest clip for SFU, placing in third with a time of 4:39.36 for 12 points. Jenna Raptosh carved out a fifth place spot for 10 points by finishing up in 4:43.18. Kaitlin McDonald took down eighth place by swimming for a clip of 4:50.74, earning her team five points. In ninth place was junior Nicole Cassese (Wickliffe, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) with a four point effort of 4:51.14.
Elise Dobrick rattled off nine points in the 100 yard butterfly with her time of 1:00.11. Her sixth place time is now SFU’s third best time, overall, in that event. Elyse Peterman scored four points in ninth place by racing for a clip of 1:03.45 and Jenn Jeffreys rounded out the Flash’s endeavors in tenth place with a time of 1:05.19 for three points.
The 200 yard freestyle had freshman Melissa Heintz (Boyertown, Pa./Oley Valley) finish in fourth place with a time of 1:57.31, clearing 11 points for the Red Flash. Blair Kosela punched out five points with her eighth place time of 2:01.09. Cara Morgan brought in three points by swimming for a tenth place rate of 2:01.68 and Sirae Riley lagged right behind Morgan for two points in eleventh, finishing in 2:02.16.
Three top five finishes were taken home by the Flash in the 100 yard breaststroke. Elyse Peterman whipped up 12 points by finishing in third place with a time of 1:10.36. Katie Snyder finished in fourth, just centimeters behind Peterman with an 11 point finish of 1:10.48. Rounding out the top five was senior Stephanie Hozempa (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads), churning out 10 points for her fifth place clock of 1:11.20.
In the 12th event, Saint Francis netted 26 communal points. Elise Merrill lapped up 12 points by finishing in third with a time of 1:01.36. Junior Kaitlin Lyons (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) grabbed nine points for her sixth place clip of 1:03.13. In her final meet, senior Alicia Vasiladis (Windsor, Ont./Saint Thomas) placed eighth with a pace of 1:03.07, good enough for five points.
A new Red Flash record was set in day two’s final event, the 800 yard freestyle relay. Saint Francis wrapped up the second day’s final event in third with a clip of 7:54.48, producing 24 Red Flash points. This time knocks off February 17, 2006’s time of 7:57.06.
After day two of competition, the Red Flash trail second place Wagner College by a half point. The current standings are as follows:
Central Connecticut State (427.50)
Wagner College (297.50)
Saint Francis (Pa.) (297)
Sacred Heart (146)
St. Francis (N.Y.) (104)
Mount St. Mary’s (92)
Saint Francis returns to Kiphuth Pool at 10:00am on Saturday morning for the third and final day of competition.