Red Flash Swimming Tops Cleveland State 106-99 in Season Opener

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Oct. 18, 2008) – The Saint Francis women’s swim team defeated Cleveland State 106-99 in their first meet of the season on Saturday in Cleveland.  

The team will travel to Lewisburg for a tri-meet with the Bucknell Bison and the Duquesne Dukes on November 1.  

The Red Flash took first and third in the first event of the meet, the 200 yard medley relay.  The team of Elise Merril (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring), Chloe Pierre (Valencia, Pa./Mars), Elyse Dobrick (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Blair Kosela (Crescent, Pa./Moon Area) took first with a time of 1:51.98, out-touching the Vikings A team by almost 2 seconds.

Kristi Bunker of Cleveland State touched the wall first in the 1000-yard freestyle in 10:56.65, with Cara Morgan (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) taking second with a time of 11:01.56.  Kaitlin MacDonald (Olney, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) picked up 2 points for the Red Flash by placing third.

Merril finished first in the 50-yard freestyle, her time of 25.40 besting Cleveland State’s Whitney Hickey by .10 seconds.

The Flash then went 1-2-3 in the 200 individual medley, accumulating 16 points in the event.  Jessica Dunn (Bristow, Va,/Seton School) placed first in 2:14.78, with Kristen Low (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park) right behind her at 2:17.66.  Katie Snyder (Dayton, Ohio/Butler) took third in the event, finishing in 2:20.57.

Dunn, a freshman swimming in her first collegiate meet, also took first in the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:01.16.  Merril picked up 3 points, placing third in 1:02.33.

Elyse Peterman (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) picked up her first victory of the season in the 100-yard breaststroke.  She touched the wall in 1:10.14, with Pierre coming in third at 1:10.24.

The Red Flash relays took second and third in the 200 freestyle relays, with the B team of Angela Marino, Bethany Lanzendown (River Edge, N.J./River Dell), Kayla Hollstadt (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) and Dobrick touching second in 1:44.34.  The Red Flash A team of Abi May (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area), Michelle Mercer (Rockville, Md./Holy Child), Nicole Cassese (Wickliffe, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) and McKenzie Madore (State College, Pa./State College) taking third with a time of 1:48.04.