COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Two new pool records and a scintillating debut from its class of newcomers highlighted the Ursinus College women's swimming team's 134-66 rout of Dickinson in Saturday's season opener.
Freshman Rebecca Warren and senior Sydney Gundersen were double winners for the Bears, who saw three rookies pick up individual victories as the program's winning streaks reached 49 (overall) and 32 (Centennial Conference). Senior Meggie Leitz broke her own Elliott Pool record in the 200 fly, and the 400 medley relay team set a new standard in the first race of the new campaign.
The Bears went 1-2-3 in five different races.
The 2017-18 season could hardly have begun better for Ursinus. Junior Peyten Lyons, senior Olivia Tierney, junior Clara Baker, and senior Sydney Gundersen touched the wall in just 3:59.97 to eclipse the previous pool record set two years ago. Freshman Sophie May, sophomore Haley Sturla, senior Katherine Porter, and Leitz were second in 4:06.11.
Warren collected the first of her two distance freestyle victories with an 11:10.09 in the 1000 free, topping the rest of the field by more than 16 seconds.
Gundersen captured first in the 200 free with a 1:58.16, well clear of sophomore Margrethe Leis in second (2:03.17) and Sturla in third (2:03.65).
Baker claimed first in the 50 free at 24.96, with freshman Katherine Kurzinsky the runner-up in 25.67.
First-year Katelyn Moore picked up her first collegiate victory in the 200 IM, narrowly edging Tierney by just .15 seconds with a mark of 2:17.14. Junior Caroline Powell was third in 2:22.70.
Leitz followed with another historic performance in the 200 fly, lowering her own pool record to 2:08.52 with a thrilling swim that left her nearly four seconds abreast of junior Gabriella Timuscuk (2:12.27).
Gundersen made it a double for the day with a 54.70 in the 100 free, where rookie Allison Thomas was runner-up at 57.33.
May, who also sang the national anthem before the meet, won the 200 back in 2:11.05, with Lyons in second at 2:12.15.
Warren completed her own distance double in the 500 free, where her 5:27.30 was just .64 seconds faster than Dickinson's Demetria Ruhl.
Tierney took the 200 breast in 2:29.10; Sturla was second at 2:32.84, and Moore third at 2:33.15.
The women's swimming team heads to York (Pa.) for a tri-meet on Saturday, November 4.