Total team effort leads Lehigh to senior day sweep of Drexel

Results

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – On senior day at Jacobs Pool, the Lehigh swimming and diving teams used a total team effort to defeat the Drexel Dragons Saturday afternoon in the final meet of the regular season. Lehigh's women won ten of the first 14 events to down Drexel 162.5-124.5,while the men's meet came down to the final event with the Mountain Hawks capturing first and third place finishes in the 200 yard freestyle relay to edge the Dragons 152.5-145.5.

The Lehigh women close out the dual meet season at 6-4 while the men split 16 events with Drexel but edged the Dragons by seven points to clinch a winning dual meet season, finishing at 6-5.

"We received a great effort from our entire team," Lehigh head coach Rob Herb said. "It took a total team effort to win both of these meets. It was team first all the way. We are excited to move focus on Patriots and a great end-of-season."

Senior Alissa Leung, junior Courtney Patterson and sophomore Kaitlyn Ruffing each won two individual events on the day to lead the way for Lehigh's women.

The Mountain Hawks set the tone from the get-go, with the 200 medley relay team opening the meet with a pool record as Leung, Ruffing, junior Melissa Feeney and sophomore Kelly Carroll clocking in at 1:48.51.

Patterson led the charge in the distance freestyle events, winning the 1000 free in 10:30.31 with sophomore Cora Summerfield finishing second, and later leading a top three sweep in the 500 free with a winning time of 5:07.54. Freshman Meghan Thompson and senior Madeleine Smith finished second and third, respectively, in the 500 as well.

Leung swept the backstroke events, taking the 100 in 57.98 and the 200 in 2:05.68. Ruffing continued to lead the way in the sprint freestyle events, taking the 50 free in 24.13 and leading a sweep in the 100 free with a time of 52.36. Junior Carolyn Koch finished second in both sprints, while Carroll finished third.

Carroll later led a sweep in the 100 fly winning with a time of 58.37, followed by senior Mary Caitlin Samuels and freshman Sydney Bornstein. Lehigh also swept the top three spots in the 200 fly, with Bornstein winning in 2:07.22 and Samuels and Summerfield finishing second and third.

Lehigh's other event win came from freshman Julianne Koch, who captured the 200 free in 1:53.81 with Thompson finishing second. Koch also had the top time in the 200 IM but the Mountain Hawks swam the last two events unscored after clinching the meet.

"It was a strong effort throughout against a very strong Drexel team," Herb said. "We surprised Drexel in the medley relays and never took our foot off the gas."

On the men's side sophomore Jacob Moyar won three individual events but it was two of Lehigh's 200 free relay teams that delivered 13 points in the come-from-behind victory. Trailing 141.5-139.5 after 15 events, Lehigh's top 200 relay team of sophomore Jamal Willis, freshman Zach Tieke, senior Owen Dunbar and sophomore Justin White touched the wall in 1:24.64 to claim 11 big points. Drexel's A team finished second, but the Mountain Hawks' B team of seniors Eric Sherwood, Mike Wheaton, Danny Bennett and junior Jake Hassel out-touched Drexel's B team by .26 seconds to claim third place.

"The last men's relay was the metaphor for the whole season," Herb said. "Lehigh swimmers and divers compete with heart and will not give up!"

Moyar's day began with a win in the 1000 free in 9:51.92, with Bennett finishing second. Moyar also won the 200 fly in 1:52.14 and closed his day with a win in the 200 IM in 1:54.65. Senior Jake Greene took second in the 200 IM.

Bennett posted a victory on senior day, taking the 500 free in 4:45.49. Senior Sean Brant earned a win in the 200 back in 1:54.93 and also finished second in the 100 back.

In the sprints, Willis captured the 50 free in 21.27 with White finishing second. White won the 200 free in 1:43.10 and finished second for Lehigh's top finish in the 100 free.

On the diving boards, senior Dan Bateman contributed eight points with second place finishes in both the one and three meter events.

"Our men definitely surprised," Herb said. "We had a number of strong swims with the distance swimmers matching the sprinters to bring home the win. It was going to take everyone scoring in every event and that is what they did."

The Mountain Hawks will now shift focus to the Patriot League Championships, February 18-21 at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium.

Lehigh University Athletics

Total team effort leads Lehigh to senior day sweep of Drexel

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