COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The women’s team’s quest for a three-peat will be the story of the weekend as the Ursinus College swimming squads prepare to take on the Centennial Conference championships, which take center stage at Gettysburg from Friday to Sunday.
The women, ranked No. 20 in the CSCAA Division III poll, have their sights set on adding to a remarkable run of dominance. Under head coach Mark Feinberg, the Bears have established themselves as one America’s premier programs, scripting a resume that includes back-to-back Centennial Conference titles (the first in school history), 39 consecutive dual-meet victories, and three straight undefeated regular seasons.
Now, Ursinus dreams of a third straight trophy to add to its growing collection of hardware – and the Bears appear to have the pieces in place to make it a reality.
Ursinus swimmers are at or near the top of the Centennial Conference performance lists in nearly every event, and the Bears have already broken three conference records during the 2015-16 campaign. Freshman Peyten Lyons eclipsed a mark that had stood since 2004 with a 56.60 in the 100 back, and she teamed up with fellow rookie Clara Baker, sophomore Olivia Tierney, and senior Corinne Capodanno to establish new records in the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.67) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:53.20).
Capodanno tops the CC charts in the 200 free (1:53.90) and the 500 free (5:04.81) while ranking second in the 100 free (53.48) and third in the 50 free (24.85). Sophomore Sydney Gundersen is third in both the 100 free (53.66) and 200 free (1:57.31), while senior Micaela Lyons is second in the 50 free (24.73).
Peyten Lyons (fifth), sophomore Margaret Leitz (sixth), and freshman Samantha Kegel (seventh) are tightly bunched in the 200 back, while Tierney stands fourth in the 100 breast (1:08.24) and 200 breast (2:26.71).
Four Bears reside in the top seven of the 100 fly, led by Baker’s B-cut clocking of 55.86; Leitz sits second (57.09), with sophomore Katherine Porter in fourth (58.08) and freshman Gabriella Timuscuk (1:00.12) in seventh. Leitz headlines the 200 fly (2:06.49), where Baker is right behind in second with a fellow B-cut mark of 2:07.44.
Peyten Lyons is first in the 100 IM (1:01.82) and 200 IM (2:10.41), while junior Katie Pielmeir is third (1:03.77) in the 100 and fourth in the 200 (2:13.47).
Ursinus also boats the conference’s best times in the 200 free relay (1:38.21) and the 400 free relay (3:32.05).
Several Bear swimmers hold gold medals from last year’s championship meet; that list of former champions includes Capodanno, who won the 200 free last year; Tierney, who captured the 200 breast crown; and Pielmier, who prevailed in the 200 IM.
The women’s team rolled through its Centennial Conference competition during the regular season, outscoring its opponents by an average of 68 points even though the Bears went to exhibition scoring in the latter stages of many of their duals.
Still, championship weekend breeds tight finishes, and no one knows that better than Ursinus. The Bears’ titles in 2014 and 2015 were two of the three closest margins of victory in Centennial Conference history – they edged Gettysburg, 671.5-664, two years ago before outlasting Franklin & Marshall by a 667.5-644.
Gettysburg has won 14 of the 21 previous conference championships. A third title this weekend would tie the Bears with Franklin & Marshall for the second-most of any program.
The Ursinus men, meanwhile, finished 6-4 overall and 2-4 in the conference during the regular season, tying for fifth with F&M. Although Gettysburg (13) and Franklin & Marshall (8) have won every Centennial Conference championship since the league’s inception, Washington College is the prohibitive favorite to break that streak and take home the crown after an undefeated regular season.
The Bears will expect a big performance from junior Marcus Wagner, who ranks second in the CC in the 1650 free (16:46.25) and third in the 500 free (4:46.22) and the 1000 free (9:59.01). An honorable mention all-conference honoree as a freshman, Wagner was named the CC Swimmer of the Week on January 18.
Junior William Benn is tied for third in the 100 back (52.97), which figures to be one of the most exciting battles of the weekend as the league’s top four times are separated by little more than a second. Benn stands fifth in the 200 back (1:56.68).
Sophomore Colin McNamara sits in fifth in the 200 fly (1:59.75), less than a quarter of a second out of third. Freshman Devin Nielsen is fourth in the 100 IM (56.64), and fellow rookie James Callaghan ranks fifth in the 400 IM (4:18.35).
Ursinus finished fourth in the team standings last season, following a third-place showing in 2014 and a runner-up performance in 2013. The Bears have finished in the top four each of the last four seasons after failing to do so in any of the 18 years prior, 12 of which ended with Ursinus in last place.
The action gets underway tomorrow morning. For a full schedule and other information about the championships, use the links below: