Women's Swimming

Schedule/Results | Roster | News | Archives

Feb. 20, 2009

Results

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure women's swimming and diving team gained a 26-point lead over Xavier in its jump to sixth place in the third day of the Atlantic 10 Championships at the Flickinger Center.

In the morning preliminaries, sophomore Katie Valentine was one of three swimmers to set a conference record in the 100-yard backstroke. Valentine touched the wall in 56.08 for a second-place finish that also broke the Bonaventure varsity record in the 100 backstroke, set in 2003. Valentine returned to the lanes in the championship finals for the 100 back and claimed fourth in 56.40.

For the first finals event of the night, freshman Jamie Noonan placed sixth in the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:29.50. Senior Kate Cherry swam a 4:39.55 for a 16th-place finish in the consolation finals.

The Bonnies looked to the 100-yard butterfly to help climb up the ranks. In the consolation and championship finals, three of the four Bonaventure swimmers broke a varsity record of 57.11 from 1997. In the 100 fly consolation finals, junior Taylor Merena swam a 56.95 for a 10th-place finish and freshman Lanae Petty touched 14th in 57.73. In the championship finals freshman Danielle Butler and senior Allison Whalen finished only .02 seconds from each other. Butler claimed fourth in 56.43 followed by Whalen in fifth (56.45). Butler now holds the Bonaventure varsity record for the 100 fly.

The 200-yard freestyle followed the 100 fly with junior Allison Smith swimming a 1:53.88 for an eighth-place finish in the championship finals.

In her first A-10 Championship, freshman Brittany Harris claimed ninth place in the 100-yard breaststroke consolation finals in 106.14.

The final event of the night, the 400-yard medley relay, aided the Bonnies in holding onto its sixth-place status. Valentine, Harris, Butler and Smith joined together to swim a fifth place time of 3:52.38, .46 seconds from breaking another Bonaventure record.

At the end of the day, Richmond holds a sizeable lead on the women's board with 502 points, followed by Fordham in second (373.5). Massachusetts holds third (301.5) with Duquesne in fourth (277.5). La Salle is fifth, eight points behind the Dukes and a 42.5-point lead over the Brown and White.

The Bonnies will return to the Flickinger Center tomorrow for the final day of competition with prelims beginning at 10:30 a.m. followed by the finals at 6:30 p.m.