Rookies Rack up Records for Women's Swimming

Rookies Rack up Records for Women's Swimming

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – First-year phenoms Sophie Lear and Katie Schultz combined to break four program records and one Centennial Conference standard in a sensational performance for the Ursinus College women's swimming during the last day of West Chester's Golden Ram Classic on Saturday.

Lear established a new conference standard in the 100 free, posting a time of 51.84 to edge the one logged by Swarthmore's Kate Wiseman in 2015. The clocking is good for 18th in Division III and was .40 ticks faster than the former Ursinus record shared by Corinne Capodanno '16 and Sydney Gundersen '18.

Lear also broke the program record in the 100 breast with a 1:06.09, a mere .02 seconds better than Olivia Tierney's 2015 mark.

Schultz was equally impressive, registering a pair of school records and an NCAA B-cut time all in the same race. The rookie turned in a time of 17:10.54 in the mile, shattering the benchmark set last year by Rebecca Warren and vaulting all the way up to eighth in Division III. Her 1000 split was 10:23.08, easily a program low and good for the sixth-fastest mark in the country.

Lear joined senior Peyten Lyons, senior Clara Baker, and sophomore Sophie May to place runner-up in the 200 medley relay. Their time of 1:45.85 is good for 14th in the country. The same grouping closed the meet with a blazing 3:30.60 in the 400 free relay, which ranks 10th in Division III. May, Schultz, Lyons, and Lear elevated to 11th in the country in the 800 free relay with a 7:44.90.

Over the course of the two-day event, the Bears accrued five relay times that reside among the top-15 in the nation.

Baker doubled down on a pair of NCAA B-cut times in the butterfly events. She completed the 100 in a sizzling 56.09, moving up to eighth in the country, and clocked a 2:06.05 to jump to 14th in Division III in the 200.

May (58.66) and Lyons (58.76) secured the top two times in the CC in the 100 back, with May's representing a new personal best. May also took over the second spot in the conference in the 200 back, where her 2:05.36 is tied for 27th in Division III. Lyons' 2:08.76 is now good for third in the CC.

Schultz picked up a new PR in the 400 IM with a 4:39.80, which sits third in the Centennial Conference. Senior Caroline Powell's 4:42.85 is fourth and served as a season best.

Junior Haley Sturla moved to fourth in the CC with a season-low 2:29.36 in the 200 breast.