Women's Team Wins Tight Opener

The Alfred State women's swimming and diving team defeated Penn State Behrend 153-139 as they opened up the 2018-19 season with a big AMCC victory. The Pioneers won the final event the 200 yard freestyle relay to clinch the victory.

Jessie LaRue (Livonia) paced the women's team with three victories in her collegiate debut. She won the 50 free in 25.80, the 100 free in 57.33 and the 200 free in 2:05.28. Her time is the 50 free is a new ASC NCAA era record.

Lauren Earley (Waterford/Shenendehowa) and Kathryn Lewis (Niagara Wheatfield) each earned three 2nd place finishes. Earley was 2nd in the 100 back (1:10.83), 2nd in the 200 back (2:33.55), and 2nd in the 200 IM (2:37.35) while Lewis was 2nd in the 1,000 free (12:12.84), 2nd in the 500 free (5:54.55), and 2nd in the 100 breast (1:18.44).

Other 2nd place finishes for the Pioneers included:

• Kelsey Lynch (Wellsville) was 2nd in the 200 fly (2:42.24)
• Elizabeth Drake (Lansing) was 2nd in the 50 free (27.70)
• Sarah Stevens (Wellsville) was 2nd in the 200 breast (2:55.80)
• Payton Armstrong (Highland Mills/Monroe Woodbury) was 2nd in the 100 fly (1:13.75)

The 200 medley relay team of Earley, Grace Feely (Middletown), Armstrong and Lynch finished 2nd in 2:09.75 to open up the meet while the team of LaRue, Lewis, Drake, and Sarah Stevens won the 200 free relay to end the meet in 1:46.33. The 200 free relay time also set a new school record.

On the diving board, Sarah Stevens (Wellsville) was 1st in the 1 m competition with a score of 197.5 while sister Rebecca Stevens (Wellsville) was 2nd (195.6). Sarah Stevens also won the 3 m competition with 190.90 points while Leaha Langerman (Wayland Cohocton) was 2nd (179.85).

Coach RC Weston was proud of the effort during the first meet of the year. "The entire team was going wild with two events left to go and a victory within reach for our women. The last relay was remarkable to watch. I'm extremely proud of our divers for once again leading the way. Coach Beach is doing a fantastic job with the early in the season and they are going to have a very good year. We're looking forward to a couple weeks of training before we have our next meet."

The Pioneers are back in the pool on November 3rd when they host Buffalo State. Action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.