lizabethtown College’s men and women’s swim teams both fell this past Saturday against Middle Atlantic Conference opponent Lycoming College, falling 128-67 and 114-91 respectively. The men’s team, led by senior Andrew Malik and junior Frank Capria, are still in search of their first win of the season (0-4) while the women’s team, led by seniors Megan Leppo and Kimberly Cosgrove and junior Becky Lane, fell 1-3.
On the men’s side, Capria swam season best times in the 200-yard individual medley and the 1000-yard freestyle, while Malik did the same in the 200-yard freestyle. However, these season-bests were still not enough to hold off the third-place finisher in last year’s MAC Championships. Malik pushed Zack Brower of Lycoming to the finish in the third men’s event of the afternoon, the 200 free. Malik came up inches short of the win with a 1:55.54 to Brower’s 1:55.34. Capria led the early stages of the 1000, before finishing second in 11:07.84. The junior swam 2:18.25 in the 200-yard individual medley, more than three seconds faster than the Jays’ second-best time in the event this season.
Senior Michael Rentschler and first-year Ramon Rios took second and third in the 100-yard fly, swimming nearly identical times. Rentschler, clocked in at 1:00.01, while the newcomer, Rios, ticked off a 1:00.08. Completing the distance double, Capria took second in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:35.12. First-year Kieran Koehler was a close third in the 100-yard breaststroke, falling just seven-tenths short of the win in a time of 1:05.79.
The women fared slightly better against the Warriors. The Blue Jays showed they were going to go neck and neck with the Warriors from the opening 200-yard medley relay. Lycoming’s group of BethAnn Schwoyer, Morgan Black, Lexi Follweiler and Brigid Clark won in 1:59.10, but only by 1.6 seconds.
Following the relay, the teams went back and forth all afternoon. Leppo won the 1000-yard freestyle for the first time this year, swimming 11:23.39, her fastest time of the year. Cosgrove made it a 1-2 finish for the Blue Jays with an 11:28.44. Lane’s domination of the sprint free races didn’t suffer any as she squeaked out a victory over Lycoming’s Clark by three-hundredths of a second in the 50-yard freestyle. Lane outswam Clark again in the 100-yard freestyle, winning in 56.85, while Cosgrove swapped places with Leppo to win the 500-yard freestyle in another 1-2 finish for the Jays. Cosgrove (5:38.94) and Leppo (5:40.72) were more than 10 seconds quicker than the Warriors’ top finisher.
In the 200-yard individual medley, senior Megan Leary set the program’s top time this season with a 2:31.85, good for second place in the race. Leary was responsible for both program season-best times set in the meet, as she also had the fastest 100-yard backstroke time with a 1:08.98. Sophomore Amanda Long won the 100-yard breaststroke to remain unbeaten in the breaststroke this season. She recorded a time of 1:13.01 against Lycoming, bettering Jess Wimmer of the Warriors by 1.98 seconds.
The Blue Jays look to welcome conference rival Messiah College to the Alumni Pool on Wednesday, Nov. 13 for the second time this season.
