RELEASE DATE: 10/22/05

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTAINEERS GET SECOND PLACE FINISH, BUT DROP THREE-WAY RELAY MEET

MANSFIELD -- The Mountaineer swimmers got a second place finish from the 1,500 yard relay team, but ended up in last place during the Mansfield Relays on Saturday.

Mansfield ended the meet with 82 points, falling short of the tallies posted by Millersville, who had 172 points, and East Stroudsburg, who collected 152 points.

Mansfield’s best showing was the second place in the eighth event. The team of Mary Tucker, Kristine Van Duzer, and Andrea Popovic finished the1500 yard freestyle  relay in 18:11.71. ESU’s team of Justine Grilz, Julie Steele, and Debbie Ritter placed first, with a time of 17:27.14.

In the day’s first event, Mansfield had a third place finish in the 300 yard butterfly. The team of Maureen Maikner, Daniella Borrelli, and Popovic finished with a time of 3:22.03. Millersville’s team finished first with a time of 3:14.53.

Millersville also took first place finishes in the 300 yard backstroke and 300 yard breaststroke while the Mountaineers took third in both events. Abbe Tipton, Diana Daniel, Hanna Lampshere posted a time of 3:30.92 in the backstroke event. Stephanie Klegarth, Van Duzer, and Melissa Recchiuti had a time of 4:03.36 in the breaststroke.

The fourth event, the 800 yard freestyle, did not feature a Mountaineer team. East Stroudsburg took the event with a time of 8:35.63.

Mansfield was just edged out of a second place finish by ESU in the 500 yard freestyle. Borrelli, Mindy Smith, Tucker, and Popovic finished the event in 5:15.75. ESU’s team finished with a time of 5:13.35. Millersville took the event in 5:07.15.

Mansfield would finish in third place again in the 400 yard medley, as Millersville took the event. The team of Tipton, Klegarth, Maikner, and Borrelli finished with a time of 4:29.09, nine seconds out of first place.

All three schools had two teams in the 200 yard freestyle and Mansfield took third and fifth places. Mansfield’s team of Borrelli, Smith, Tipton, and Popovic were a second and a half faster than Millersville’s second team as Mansfield posted a time of 1:51.32. Mansfield’s team of Recchiuti, Samantha Kutskel, Klegarth, and Daniel finished with a time of 1:57.15, about half a second faster than ESU’s second team.

After posting their second place in the 1500 yard freestyle, Mansfield had yet another third place finish in the 400 yard medley. Tipton, Maikner, Popovic, and Tucker finished with a time of 4:54.16. Millersville took the event with a time of 4:30.77.

The day’s final event, the 400 yard freestyle, also featured six teams and the Mountaineers took fourth and sixth place. Borelli, Smith, Daniel, and Tipton posted the fourth place time of 4:11.99, less than two seconds out of third place. Van Duzer, Kutskel, Recchiuti, and Maikner posted a time of 4:35.56.

Mansfield will host Bloomsburg next Saturday at Decker Gym.

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