WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Movin' on up was the theme of the day as the Ursinus College swimming teams put together a strong performance during the first two sessions of West Chester's Golden Ram Classic.
The women jumped into the top 15 in the nation in a pair of relays, while the men logged two top-50 relay times of their own. Both sides produced a number of impressive individual efforts in the first day of the annual meet that also includes Albright and the host Golden Rams.
Senior Clara Baker, sophomore Sophie May, senior Peyten Lyons, and freshman Sophie Lear finished second in the 200 free relay with a sizzling time of 1:36.00, placing them 13th in all of Division III. The B unit of sophomore Katherine Kurzinsky, freshman Liv Rachael, freshman Stephanie Chell, and senior Caroline Powell posted a mark of 1:39.63, which ranks just outside the national top-50.
Freshman Katie Schultz took over the top spot in the Centennial Conference with a 5:06.34 in the 500 free, a clocking that sits 38th in the country.
Lyons was ninth in the 200 IM with a 2:12.07, and Powell notched a new PR by over five seconds with a 2:13.33.
May was runner-up in the 50 free with a career-best 24.06, the best time in the conference. Rachael was third at 24.83 and Kurzinsky took fourth at 25.10.
The women closed the evening with a bang as Lyons, junior Haley Sturla, Baker, and Lear landed in second place with a 3:53.69 in the 400 medley relay; the time is easily the best in the CC and is 15th in Division III.
For the men, freshman Daniel Mueser, junior Jared Krawetz, senior Travis Venables, and freshman Ryan Carkhuff were third with a season-best 1:25.60 in the 200 free relay, good for 37th in the nation.
Junior Jacob Menzer grabbed pole position in the CC in the 500 free, completing the race in 4:41.39 to take third place overall. Freshman William Clift tallied a new PR by more than two seconds at 4:57.82.
Sophomore Michael Prior was sixth in the 200 IM (2:00.01), and senior James Callaghan finished seventh (2:01.65).
Carkhuff was strong in the 50 free, posting a new personal best of 21.49 to move into the top-10 in the CC. Mueser nipped his own PR by .03 seconds with a 21.68.
The foursome of Prior, senior Maxwell Coulter, Mueser, and Carkhuff tied for second in the 400 medley relay with a clocking of 3:30.24. The time was easily a season best and moved the Bears' grouping up to third in the conference and into the top-50 nationally.
The swimming teams are back in action Saturday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.