WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Ursinus College women's swimming team closed the first half of the season in style on Saturday, as several Bears bolstered their positions among the nation's best in a scintillating effort on Day 2 of West Chester's Golden Rams Classic.
Junior Clara Baker, senior Meggie Leitz, and junior Peyten Lyons all recorded individual victories for the Bears, who racked up several NCAA B cut times in a dominating performance to end the 2017 portion of their schedule.
The Bears electrified the crowd with a 1-3-5 finish in the 100 fly, all of which were NCAA B cut times. Ursinus was led by Baker's 55.65, which was one hundredth of a second faster than West Chester's Meghan Keithley and currently ranks second in the nation, just .04 seconds behind Kenyon's Kanchi Desai. Senior Meggie Leitz clocked a 56.58 (18th in Division III), while senior Katherine Porter logged a 56.92 (26th).
Lyons produced an NCAA B cut time of 56.92 to win the 100 back, a mark that places her 14th in Division III.
Leitz was terrific in the 200 fly, taking first place with a clocking of 2:03.98 that now ranks fifth in the country. Baker's 2:07.03 was also an NCAA B cut and good for 28th in the nation.
Lyons, senior Olivia Tierney, Baker, and Gundersen were runners-up in the 200 medley relay, clocking a 1:46.92 to move to 17th in Division III.
Tierney posted the best time in the CC this season in the 400 IM, placing fifth overall at 4:40.59. Junior Caroline Powell's 4:47.02 is now good for sixth in the league, and freshman Katelyn Moore's 4:48.82 is eighth.
Gundersen (1:54.58) and freshman Sophie May (1:54.87) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 200 free, registering the conference's top two times this season in the process.
Tierney (1:07.40) and Gundersen (1:07.81) went back to back in the 100 breast, placing fifth and sixth overall, while sophomore Haley Sturla moved to eighth in the CC with a 1:09.13.
Gundersen, May, Leitz, and Lyons clocked a 7:44.31 in the 800 free relay, moving up to 10th in the country and finishing second for the meet.
Freshman Rebecca Warren elevated to fourth in the CC with a time of 18:17.20 in the 1650 free, where junior Kathryn Longenecker (18:33.43, 8th) and senior Rachel Weil (18:42.02, 10th) also moved into the league's top 10.
Lyons moved to 27th in the country with a CC-best 2:04.51 in the 200 back, good for third place overall at the meet. May's mark of 2:08.22, meanwhile, is now the conference's second-best.
Gundersen is now second in the CC following a time of 52.85 in the 100 free, and freshmen Katherine Kurzinsky (54.63) and Thomas (54.86) also jumped into the top 10.
Tierney now owns the best time in the CC in the 200 breast, touching the wall in 2:24.69 to place third and move to 36th in Division III.
Baker, Lyons, Leitz, and Gundersen closed the meet with a 3:33.02 in the 400 free relay, ranking 16th in Division III.