LANCASTER, Pa. – The Ursinus College women's swimming team clinched its third consecutive Centennial Conference dual-meet championship in grand style this evening, routing Franklin & Marshall, 139-66, in the de facto title match.
The Bears (10-0, 6-0), ranked No. 20 in Division III, dominated from start to finish in winning their 38th straight dual meet and 23rd in a row in Centennial Conference play. Freshman Peyten Lyons, sophomore Olivia Tierney, freshman Clara Baker, and senior Corinne Capodanno finished the 200 medley relay in 1:50.17, more than three seconds ahead of the runner-up group for Franklin & Marshall (5-2-1, 5-1).
After freshman Kathryn Longenecker took second in the 1000 free, Peyten Lyons captured the 200 free in 1:57.43, with sophomore Margaret Leitz placing second with a clocking of 1:59.64.
Sophomore Sydney Gundersen headlined a 1-2-3 finish in the 50 free with a time of 25.15 as Baker (28.45) and junior Alexandra Hemp (28.48) were neck and neck behind her. Tierney then prevailed in a tight 200 IM (2:14.25), where junior Katie Pielmeier (2:14.54) was less than three-tenths of a second off the pace.
Baker cruised to victory in the 100 fly with a mark of 57.11, with sophomore Katherine Porter (59.70) in second and freshman Gabriella Timuscuk (1:00.20) in third. Gundersen was the first to touch the wall in the 100 free (53.81), where senior Micaela Lyons was runner-up in 54.86 seconds.
Peyten Lyons dominated the 100 back, posting a winning clocking of 59.03, and Capodanno took second in the 500 free (5:13.01) behind Becca Myers, who also won the 1000 free to account for the Diplomats' lone victories of the night.
Tierney edged out F&M's Melissa Mullin in the 100 breast (1:08.68) before the quartet of junior Marisa Ferrari, Leitz, Micaela Lyons, and Capodanno polished off the meet with a victory in the 200 free relay (1:42.87).
Their three-peat secured, the Bears go for a third straight undefeated regular season on Saturday, when they welcome Bryn Mawr to Elliott Pool for their Centennial Conference finale.