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Women's Swimming Expands Lead at CC Championship

Women's Swimming Expands Lead at CC Championship

LANCASTER, Pa. – Three more gold medals – and a third conference relay record – have the Ursinus College women's swimming team well on its way to a fifth consecutive Centennial Conference championship.

Senior Sydney Gundersen and freshman Sophie May teamed up to set a new league standard in the 200 free relay, and each tacked on an individual gold for good measure as the Bears concluded the second day of the conference meet with 327 points and a 102-point lead on distant second-place Swarthmore.

Gundersen, junior Peyten Lyons, junior Clara Baker, and May made it three conference records in as many relays for the Bears, cruising to gold in the 200 free relay with a 1:35.68 to nip the previous standard by a third of a second; Gundersen and Baker were also involved in that record, set during the conference meet in 2016.

Gundersen then dethroned Lyons, her two-time defending conference champion teammate, in a thrilling 200 IM final. She posted a B cut time of 2:06.60 – her same exact mark from prelims – to edge Lyons' 2:06.79 for her first career gold in the event. In addition to Lyons' silver, Ursinus nearly swept the podium as junior Caroline Powell placed fourth in 2:11.02.

After making history with a school-record 23.96 in the prelims, May picked up her first career individual gold medal with a clocking of 23.97 in the final, narrowly besting Gettysburg's Kate Crilly in 24.01 and Baker in 24.06. Kurzinsky's PR of 24.52 gave the Bears three of the top six finishers.

Junior Kathryn Longenecker placed sixth with a 5:10.58 in the 500 free; she established a new personal best with a 5:10.21 in the prelims. Thomas (5:12.82), sophomore Haley Sturla (5:12.87), freshman Becca Warren (5:15.44), and sophomore Margrethe Leis (5:15.51) finished 10th through 13th, respectively.

Junior Katherine Madden took first place in the B final of the 200 IM with a personal-best 2:10.47, while senior Olivia Tierney was 10th in 2:11.91, and freshman Katelyn Moore took 12th at 2:12.92.

Freshman Allison Thomas, senior Meggie Leitz, senior Katherine Porter, and freshman Katherine Kurzinsky won the B final in 1:38.45, exactly two seconds ahead of second-place Swarthmore.

The CC championships resume Saturday morning with prelims in the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. The night session will also include the 400 medley relay.