BUFFALO, N.Y. -
The Marist women's swimming and diving team continues to lead after the second
day of competition at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Championship at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center on the campus of Erie
Community College. Starting the day 40
points ahead of Rider, Marist added 53 to their lead at 93 points after an
outstanding evening in the pool. The Red
Foxes set two school records and won four MAAC titles in eight events.
The school record breaking began with the evening's first
race the 200-yd. medley relay. The team
of junior Erica Vitale (Sterling, Conn.), sophomores Emily Miles (Long Valley,
N.J.) and Maddie Arciello (Missoula, Mont.) and freshman Greta Leberfinger
(Chatham, N.J.) set the score record in their 1:45.37 win.
The second school record was set by Leberfinger, who swam in
the highly competitive 100-yd breaststroke race. Coming into the Championship,
Leberfinger and Iona's Jamie Manser were the conference's top two swimmers in
the breaststroke discipline by far. They did nothing to let the fans in
attendance down on Friday. In the morning's prelims, they both set MAAC records
and made the NCAA B Standard cut. In the finals, Manser held off Leberfinger,
1:01.51 to 1:02.17. Leberfinger's time broke Lauren Malski's previous 2007
record of 1:02.82.
Junior Kate Conard (East Setauket, N.Y.) collected Marist's
first individual win of the evening in the 1000-yd freestyle where she cruised
to a 9.34 second win at 10:06.07. She was joined in the top eight by sophomores
Bonnie Orr (Fresno, Calif.) and Kim Kaller (New Providence, N.J.), who finished
in third and sixth, with times of 10:19.03 and 10:22.40, respectively. Orr and
Kaller's times place them fourth and fifth all-time in Marist's 1000-yd record
book.
The Red Foxes' second individual MAAC title came via Emily
Miles victory in the 100-yd butterfly. In event 19, the sophomore defended her
2011 title with an improved time of 56.44. This time re-sets her personal best
and the number two all-time mark at Marist.
Senior Amanda Letchko (Newton, N.J.) led the Red Foxes in
400-yd IM action with a third place finish of 4:33.99. She was nudged out of
second place by Loyola's Courtney Trivino by just .35 seconds. Vitale also
raced in the A Finals and earned an eighth place finish at 4:37.69.
Marist also placed two swimmers in the 200-yd freestyle
Championship Final with senior Michelle Fountain (Sayville, N.Y.) and Arciello
competing. Fountain finished the race in third at 1:51.42, while Arciello
finished one spot behind in fourth with a time of 1:54.20.
In the final individual swimming event of the evening, the
100-yd backstroke, senior Allison Kreho (Shelton, Conn.) swam to a seventh
place finish at 1:00.00.
The 800-yd freestyle team of Arciello, Orr, Fountain and
Conard finished concluded the night for Marist with its fourth win of the
session. The quartet swam to a dominate time of 7:33.34, 6.92 seconds ahead of
the second place Rider team.
After the second day of the championship, Marist leads the
way with 541.50 points. Rider is second with 448.50 and Loyola is third with
348.
The 2012 MAAC Championship will continue on Saturday morning
at 10 a.m., with the qualifying heats of events 33-40. The finals for the same
events will be held Saturday evening, with the first race scheduled to begin at
6 p.m. Marist looks to finish the competition strong and defend their MAAC
crown.
Women's Standings (Through Event 30): 1. Marist - 541.50. 2. Rider - 448.50. 3. Loyola - 348. 4. Iona - 256. 5. Fairfield - 223. 6. Canisius -222.50.
7. Siena - 185.50. 8. Niagara - 166. 9. Saint Peter's -149. 10. Manhattan - 57.
