Loudonville, N.Y. – Saint Francis' women's swimming team strutted into the Siena Swim Center and spoiled Siena's senior day as the Flash captured first place in eight of fifteen events on the way to a 165-129 victory, moving the swimmers to 7-4 on the season.
The Red Flash handed the Saints only their second loss in seven home meets this season. Siena was 9-3 prior to Saturday's meet.
“Everyone one of our girls competed as hard as they could and it paid off,” stated first year assistant coach John Ravestein. “Off the top of my head, our all-time top ten list will have some rearranging done when we get back.”
In the 400 yard medley, the quartet of sophomore Elise Merrill (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring), senior Stephanie Hozempa (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads), freshman Elyse Dobrick (Zelienople, Pa.) and sophomore Blair Kosela (Crescent, Pa./ Moon Area) claimed stake to first place with a pace of 4:10.20, eighth place all-time in SFU history.
Junior Cara Morgan (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) cracked the top-five all-time with her clip of 10:52.74 in the 1,000 yard freestyle event, in addition to first place. Morgan now holds the fourth fastest time in Saint Francis's books.
Freshman Melissa Heintz (Boyertown, Pa.) followed suit and claimed fourth place all-time in the 200 yard freestyle event. She darted for a 1:58.12 time, emerging victoriously in her respective event.
Despite finishing in second place for the 200 yard butterfly, Dobrick snuck into another top-five Red Flash time by treading for a 2:15.55 time.
The Flash produced first place finishes in the 100 yard freestyle and 200 yard backstroke by Kosela and senior Alicia Vasiladis (Windsor, Ont./Saint Thomas), both of which force a fellow member off of the top ten list. Kosela's 54.89 rate slotted the sophomore for seventh all-time and Vasiladis's 2:18.64 tempo earned the senior eighth place all-time.
Hozempa swam for an SFU eighth best all-time, 2:36.30, in the 200 yard breaststroke, putting more points on the Flash's side of the board for another first place finish.
Junior Kaitlin McDonald (Olney, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) chiseled her name into the fifth place all-time spot after winning the 500 yard freestyle event with a pace of 5:21.17. Morgan manufactured a sixth place all-time spot, finishing in second just a smidgen off first-place with a time of 5:21.47.
Dobrick achieved a top three all-time rate in the 100 yard butterfly by finishing in second place with a rate of 1:10.12. Dobrick now holds the third fastest time in 100 yard butterfly history for the Red Flash.
Saint Francis improves to 7-4 on the season after knocking off the powerful Saints. The Red Flash will travel to St. Bonaventure, N.Y. to take on the Bonnies on Friday, February 1 at 5pm. St. Bonaventure is 6-2 in dual meets this season.
