CollegeSwimming.com Division III Preseason All-Conference

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Eight members of the Ursinus College swimming teams – seven from the women's squad and one from the men's – have been named preseason All-Centennial Conference by CollegeSwimming.com, the website announced Wednesday.

Senior Katie Pielmeier; juniors Sydney Gundersen, Meggie Leitz, Katherine Porter, and Olivia Tierney; and sophomores Clara Baker and Peyten Lyons joined senior William Benn in receiving the honor.

Baker and Lyons are coming off sensational rookie campaigns that culminated in a trip to the NCAA Division III championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. While there, Baker earned All-American status in both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly to become the first Bear freshman since Jen Derstine in 1991 to collect multiple All-American honors in the same season. Baker (100 butterfly) and Lyons (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard IM) combined for three Centennial Conference individual records in addition to a litany of relay standards.

Gundersen was a member of Ursinus' record-setting 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relay groupings at the CC Championships, while Leitz was the conference champion in the 200 butterfly and runner-up in the 100 butterfly. Tierney captured the 200 butterfly crown, becoming the first Ursinus swimmer to collect multiple CC gold medals in the event, and Porter took second at the conference meet.

Pielmeier was runner-up in the 200 IM and shares the conference record in that event with Lyons.

The seven Ursinus women's swimmers named preseason All-CC own 14 program records and nine conference records between them. 

Benn was the Bears' lone All-CC representative a year ago, capturing a silver medal in the 200 backstroke on the final day of the conference meet. Earlier, he picked up a bronze medal in the 100 backstroke, and also was on a pair of fifth-place relay teams.