LORETTO, Pa. (Oct. 17, 2009) – Junior Hanna Yttring (Gothenburg, Sweden/Hawaii) set new program and pool records in two events as the Saint Francis swim team downed Cleveland State 150-110 to win their season opener for the second year in a row at the Stokes Natatorium in Loretto on Saturday.

Yttring took first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:55.68, shaving .09 off of the school and pool record set in 2006 by Amanda Williams.   The junior transfer then went on to claim victory in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 58.70.  Her swim was .12 faster than the former pool record and .16 faster than the team record of 58.86, set in 2000 by Shannon Slowey.   Yttring was also a member of SFU’s first place 200-yard medley relay along with Elise Merrill (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring), Elyse Peterman (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) and Alicia Ford (Whitney Point, N.Y./Whitney Point).

Freshman Erin Bieger (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) also had a successful college debut, claiming first place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:09.91.  She also won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:28.91), an event in which the Red Flash went 1-2-3.  Chloe Pierre (Mars, Pa./Mars) took second place, while Kristen Low (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park SS) placed third.

Merrill picked up nine points for SFU with a first place finish in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:01.51.  Teammate Jessica Dunn (Bristow, Va./Seton School) took second in the event, and went on to win the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 2:09.61.

Freshman Kathleen Lyon (King George, Va./King George) placed second in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 10:42.03, a new team record.  She also took second in the 200-yard butterfly.  

Fellow rookie Ford also picked up three second-place finishes in the 200-yard butterfly (2:14.55), the 50-yard freestyle (24.77) and the 100-yard freestyle (53.96).  

The Red Flash will travel to Saint Bonaventure for a 4 p.m. match up on October 23.