LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Saint Francis swimming returned to action with a dominating performance at Lock Haven, defeating the Bald Eagles, 158-88, on Friday. The Red Flash took first place in 12 of 14 events. In seven different events, the Red Flash had two of the top three finishers. SFU improved to 6-7 on the season and picked up its first road win.
The meet began with the Red Flash taking the top two places in the 200-yard Medley Relay. Freshman Amanda Crnic (Conway, Ark./Conway), sophomore Mary Kish(Glendale, Ariz./Bourgade Catholic), sophomore Katie Lafferty (Bremen, Ind./Bremen) and freshman Rory O’Dell (Chapel Hill, N.C./Northwood) combined for a time of 1:57.50 to finish first. Right behind them was the team of freshman Kristin Fisher (Lakevilla, Conn./Housatonic Valley Regional), freshman Fallon Nelson(Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant), senior Catherine Rogers (Nokesville, Va./Seton School) and freshman Staci Shoemaker (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville Area), with a pace of 1:59.76.
The Red Flash also placed first in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay as the team of Crnic, Kish, junior Jessie Reilly (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Upper St. Clair) and Shoemaker finished with a time of 1:46.51.
One of the top individual performances of the meet came from sophomore Emma Karell (Norrtlje, Sweden/Tby Swim Club), who won three events. Karell placed first in the 100-yard Breaststroke (1:08.84), 500-yard Freestyle (5:18.33) and 200-yard IM (2:14.61). Karell finished the 500-yard Freestyle 52 seconds before the second place competitor.
Freshmen Marisa Daly (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan) and Ashley Rovder(Johnstown, Pa./Richland) completed the Red Flash sweep of the top three places in the 100-yard Breaststroke, with times of 1:14.22 and 1:20.21, respectively.
Sophomore Natalie Tedjasukmana (Anaheim, Calif./Mater Dei) earned two first place finishes and a second place finish. She took the top spot in the 1000-yard Freestyle (11:28.29) and 100-yard Butterfly (1:02.18). Tedjasukmana also placed second in the 200-yard Butterfly, with a pace of 2:23.53.
Daly and fellow freshman Marrissa Walters (Brampton, Ontario/Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School) took second and third place in the 1000-yard Freestyle to give SFU a top three sweep in that event. Daly finished in 11:38.09, while Walters had a time of 12:08.75.
Sophomore Katie Lafferty (Bremen, Ind./Bremen) picked up two wins on the night, pacing the field in the 200-yard Butterfly (2:13.32) and 200-yard Backstroke (2:14.84). Nelson completed the sweep of the top three spots in the 200-yard Butterfly, with a time of 2:24.25.
Kish also earned two wins for the Red Flash. She placed first in the 50-yard Freestyle, with a time of 25.48, and 200-yard Breaststroke, with a time of 2:28.57.
Saint Francis took the top two places in the 200-yard Freestyle. O’Dell led the field with a time of 2:03.52, while sophomore Megan Reilly (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) finished second, with a pace of 2:06.59.
Jessie Reilly (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Upper St. Clair) and Fisher placed second and third in the 100-yard Backstroke, with times of 1:03.12 and 1:06.09, respectively.
The Red Flash also took second and third in the 100-yard Freestyle. Rogers finished the race in 54.92, while Crnic came in third, with a time of 58.88.
Saint Francis travels to Siena next Saturday, January 23, for a 1 p.m. meet.
Swimming news courtesy of Saint Francis Swimming & Diving.