Lehigh posts record-setting performance in sixth straight sweep of Lafayette

Meet Results | The Rivalry: Lehigh vs. Lafayette

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh swimming and diving team swept rival Lafayette for the sixth straight year behind a record-setting performance Friday night at Jacobs Pool. The Mountain Hawk men and women combined to set a school record and 13 pool records as Lehigh's men won their 23rd straight over the Leopards 196-92 and the women prevailed for the sixth straight time 177-111. With the wins Lehigh's men improve to 4-2 on the year while the women remain unbeaten at 5-0.

"There were best times almost in every race," said Lehigh head coach Rob Herb. "Both Lehigh and Lafayette swam incredibly but Lehigh came away with the win. I am so proud of our athletes, they rose the level of competition to new heights."

Sophomore Carolyn Koch led the way for Lehigh's women with three individual wins in the sprint freestyle events including a pair of pool records. Koch's night began by leading a top-three Lehigh sweep in the 200 free with a pool-record time of 1:50.52. Classmate Courtney Patterson and freshman Taylor Carroll occupied the second and third spots. Koch also took top honors in the 50 free with a time of 24.22 and set her second pool record of the night with a 52.45 second showing in the 100 free.

Freshman Cora Summerfield was one of three Mountain Hawks to win two events Friday, highlighted by a school record time of 10:17.13 in leading a sweep of the 1000 free. Junior Madeleine Smith and freshman Valerie Lauer took second and third respectively. Summerfield also won the 200 fly in 2:04.71 with junior Mary Samuels finishing second and Lauer third.

Lehigh swept the top three spots in the same order in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke events with sophomore Melissa Feeney winning the 100 in 1:05.80 and the 200 in 2:22.18. Junior Kim Weyand finished second in both events, while sophomore Rebekah Campo took third.

Junior Alissa Leung swept the backstroke events winning the 100 in a pool record time of 58.09 and the 200 in 2:05.11.

Carroll also posted an individual win in the 100 fly with a pool record time of 57.55.

Patterson led a Lehigh sweep in the 500 free, setting a pool record with a time of 4:57.66, with Summerfield and Smith occupying the next two spots. She also set a pool record in the 200 IM with a time of 2:07.23 but Lehigh swam the event unscored after clinching the meet.

Both of Lehigh's relay teams also set pool records as Leung, Campo, Samuels and freshman Kaitlyn Ruffing took the 200 medley relay in 3:53.85 and Koch, Carroll, Samuels and senior Stephanie Yaszemski had the best time in the 200 free relay, 1:37.08.

Sophomore Abby Pires added three points on the diving boards with a third place finish in the one meter event.

On the men's side junior Danny Bennett led two of the Lehigh sweeps en route to wins in the 200 free and 500 free events. Bennett posted a time of 1:41.96 with juniors Owen Dunbar and Eric Sherwood claiming the second and third spots in the 1000. Bennett swam a pool-record 4:34.95 in the 500 and was followed by Sherwood and junior Jake Greene.

Freshman Jacob Moyar won two individual events with a pool record thrown in. Moyar's record came with a 1:51.22 showing in the 200 fly. He also won the 1000 free in 9:55.59 with Greene finishing second.

Lehigh was once again strong in the sprints as senior Chris Hoke led a sweep in the 50 free with a time of 20.90 seconds, followed by freshmen Jamal Willis and Justin White. White then captured the 100 in 47.32 with Willis finishing second.

Freshman Kevin Huntley won the 200 breast in 2:08.79 and finished second to Lafayette's Greg Grewal who set a pool record with a time of 52.74.

Greene capped a strong meet by leading a sweep in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.31. Bennett and junior Sean Brant finished second and third.

The Mountain Hawks managed to make up points in the events they did not win by posting 2-3-4 finishes in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke events and the 100 fly.

Both of Lehigh's relay teams set pool records with Huntley, Hoke, Willis and sophomore Matt Carducci winning the 400 medley relay in 3:25.68 and Willis teaming with White, Hoke and junior Martin Kendig to take the 200 free relay in 1:22.88.

Junior Dan Bateman swept the diving events, winning the one meter in 194.70 and the three meter in 256.80.

The Lafayette meet was Lehigh's final dual of the fall semester. Koch and Hoke will compete at U.S. Nationals in Knoxville, Tenn., while the Mountain Hawks will resume dual action at Army on Friday January 10.

Lehigh University Athletics

Lehigh posts record-setting performance in sixth straight sweep of Lafayette

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