COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Drive for Five has become the Search for Six.
A year removed from setting a record for most points at the conference meet, the Ursinus College women's swimming team is the prohibitive favorite to capture a sixth consecutive crown as the Centennial Conference championships come to Gettysburg from Thursday to Sunday.
The Bears piled up 929 total points at last year's meet, clearing runner-up Swarthmore by a full 326 points for the third-largest margin of victory in CC history. With much of its core back for another run under the guidance of seven-time defending coach of the year Mark Feinberg, Ursinus is primed to add to its trophy collection.
A preview of the championships, broken down by each day's action:
Thursday, February 21
The Bears are the top seed by a wide margin in both the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay, the only two events taking place on the first day of competition. In fact, Ursinus is a clear favorite in every relay during the course of the four-day championship meet.
Friday, February 22
Action resumes Friday with prelims in the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free in addition to the 400 medley relay finals.
Freshman Katie Schultz is the top seed in the 500 free, but to grab her first CC gold she'll have to contend with Dickinson's Olivia Lyman, the 2017 most outstanding performer of the championship meet and the three-time reigning gold medalist. Junior Haley Sturla, seeded 8th, will hope to swim to her projection and qualify for the A final.
Senior Peyten Lyons, the most outstanding performer and most outstanding rookie in 2016, will go for her third career gold medal in the 200 IM, where she is seeded 3rd and was runner-up a year ago. Senior Caroline Powell (7th), sophomore Katelyn Moore (9th), and senior Katherine Madden (10th) are contenders for the top-eight final.
Sophomore Sophie May is the top seed and back to defend her crown in the 50 free, where some of her top competition will come from teammates Clara Baker (2nd) and Sophie Lear (4th).
Saturday, February 23
Saturday begins with the 400 IM, where Schultz (4th), Powell (5th), Madden (7th), and Moore (9th) all hope to make the championship final.
Baker can become the second four-time champion in the 100 fly in CC history with another gold, and she is the clear favorite to do just that with a seed time more than two seconds faster than the second-placed foe. Freshman Liv Rachael (10th) and senior Gabriella Timuscuk (12th) are also in this race for the Bears.
May is the top seed in the 200 free after finishing runner-up a year ago, and sophomore Katherine Kurzinsky – seeded third – gives Ursinus a chance at a pair of medals.
The rookie Lear is seeded second in the 100 breast, behind only Gettysburg's Katie Cooper, with Sturla (6th) and freshman Stephanie Chell (9th) in the hunt for a spot in the A final.
Like Baker, Lyons can become a four-time gold medalist in a single event with another victory in the 100 back. She is the favorite in this one, just ahead of May, and Kurzinsky is pegged sixth.
Sunday, February 24
Schultz and Lyman will likely go head to head in the timed finals of the 1650 free, where Schultz is the seeded favorite but Lyman reigns as the two-time defending champ. Senior Kathryn Longenecker is seeded eighth.
May placed second in the 200 back at last year's meet and is seeded there this time around, behind only Dickinson's Katie Schmidt, the 2017 champion. Lyons, the gold medalist in 2016 and 2018, is fourth and Powell fifth.
Lear is the clear top seed in the 100 free, owning a seed time a full 1.55 seconds clear of the projected runner-up. Kurzinsky is eighth in this race, while Rachael is 10th.
Sturla is the third seed in the 200 breast and the Bears' best hope at a medal, while Baker goes for her first career gold in the 200 fly after a runner-up showing last year.