GETTYSBURG, Pa. – After another record-filled effort, the Ursinus College women's swimming team is on the cusp of another Centennial Conference championship.
The Bears won gold in all six events on the third day of the meet at Gettysburg, resetting the conference record book in three of them, to extend their lead and put themselves in prime position to capture a sixth consecutive CC title. Ursinus has 570.5 points, well clear of Swarthmore (457) and Gettysburg (429.5).
Ursinus established a new conference and championship standard in each of the first three events of the night. Sophomore Sophie May, senior Clara Baker, senior Peyten Lyons, and freshman Sophie Lear moved into 10th on the Division III performance list with a record-breaking 1:34.81 in the 200 free relay, more than two seconds ahead of the Garnet's top relay unit.
Freshman Katie Schultz followed with a 4:31.20 in the 400 IM, just shy of an NCAA B cut and almost 1.50 seconds faster than runner-up Megan Wojnar of Gettysburg. Her first career individual gold medal was the fastest time in conference history. Sophomore Katelyn Moore (4:47.66) and senior Katherine Madden (4:48.83) placed sixth and seventh, respectively.
Baker led off the 100 fly prelims with a conference-record 54.48 and cruised to her fourth consecutive gold medal in the event with a 55.29 in the final. Lyons, who won by almost three full seconds, is the second four-time 100 fly champion in the history of the CC meet. Freshman Liv Rachael took fifth place in a time of 59.35, just off her PR of 59.30 from the prelims.
May and sophomore Katherine Kurzinsky engaged in a thrilling battle for gold in the 200 free, with May ultimately claiming top prize at 1:52.73, half a second before Kurzinsky touched in a personal-best 1:53.23.
Lear grabbed her second individual gold medal with a pool-record 1:05.03 in the 100 breast, finishing .37 seconds before Gettysburg's Katie Cooper. Junior Haley Sturla picked a perfect time for a PR, completing the race in 1:06.30 to claim bronze.
Lyons notched a second gold of her own in the 100 back, joining Baker as a four-time conference champion in a single event with a B-cut clocking of 56.99. Lyons finished .99 seconds ahead of Dickinson's Katie Schmidt to become the third four-time 100 back winner in conference history.
The conference meet concludes Sunday, which kicks off in the morning with prelims in the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly in addition to the finals of the 1650 free and the 400 free relay.