Results (html)

FAIRFAX, VA. - With five more swimmers and divers earning BIG EAST qualifying times, the women's swimming and diving team placed fifth at the Patriot Invitational with a score of 326.  The three-day event was held on the campus of George Mason University and featured nine teams.

During the preliminary rounds, freshmen Marielle O'Connor (Allentown, Pa.) and Carly Winton (Hainesport, N.J.) earned their first bids to the conference championships in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events.  Joining them was senior co-captain Kaitlyn Hafner (Cinnaminson, N.J.) who will compete in the 200 and 400-yard individual medley and the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Freshman Andrea Shuba (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the women with three point-receiving finishes.  Her first came in the 200-yard individual medley with a seventh place score, and only got better throughout the weekend with a fifth place finish in the 100-yard backstroke and second in the 200-yard backstroke, with a school record breaking time of 2:04.47.

Sophomore Megan Rathbun (Long Valley, N.J.) and red-shirt senior Hannah Meyer (Batavia, Ill.) earned their BIG EAST qualifying times during the finals.  Rathbun will make her second trip to the conference championships, earning her time with a 13^th place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle, while Meyer, who qualified all four seasons as a Pirate, picked up her time with a 16^th place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke.  Senior Natalie Toczylowski (Sandwich, Mass.), who qualified for the championships earlier this season, earned a fourth place BIG EAST qualifying time in the 1,650-yard freestyle. 

Freshman Brenna O'Keefe (Hyde Park, N.Y.) earned a fourth place time in the 200-yard butterfly, and junior Kara Walbaum (Long Valley, N.J.) also earned valuable points for the Pirates with her 14^th place score in the 200-yard backstroke.

Sophomore Kaley Swider (Galloway, N.J.) rounded out the weekend for the women's swim team with an 11^th place time in the 200-yard breaststroke and a 16^th place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke.

In the diving events, red-shirt sophomore Brittany Hervey (Bethpage, N.Y.) picked up a second place score in the 1-meter and a third place score in the 3-meter events, senior teammate Ashley Williams (Clearwater, Fla.) earned fifth place scores in the 1-meter and 3-meter events, and sophomore Kaitlyn Karl (Erie, Pa.) recorded a seventh place score in the 1-meter event.

With the five conference qualifiers this weekend, the women's roster increased their total to 17 (89%).

The women's swimming and diving team will return to action Tuesday, December 8^th when they travel to Montclair State.  The meet is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.