SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - The Mount Holyoke College swimming & diving team opened the 2017 portion of its schedule on Thursday afternoon, hosting Clark University and Wheaton College in tri-match action. The Lyons captured two victories on the afternoon, paced by senior captain Anne Kuenning in the 200-yard backstroke.
The Wheaton women bested MHC by a mark of 158-72, while the Cougars posted a 124-99 victory over the homestanding Lyons. Wheaton also defeated Clark on the women's side by a 155-75 margin. On the men's side of the action, Wheaton grabbed a 170-64 victory over the Cougars.
Kuenning (Bow, N.H./Bow) posted a time of 2:17.21 to win, besting the second-place finisher by nearly two seconds (2:19.11). She also helped open the meet for MHC, swimming the starting leg in the 200-yard medley relay. Along with junior Claire Beckett (Haslett, Mich./Haslett), first year Sarah Ratzlaff (Salt Lake City, Utah/Cottonwood) and sophomore Kate Flaherty (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough Regional), the foursome posted a time of 2:04.62 - good for fifth.
In the 1,000-yard freestyle, first year Natalie Burkett (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) posted a time of 12:07.42 to finish third overall. She posted third as well in the 500-free, touching the wall in a time of 5:53.67.
The 200-yard freestyle saw senior captain Emily Craig (Rochester, N.Y./Gates-Chili) finish second with a time of 2:05.65. She followed that up later in the meet with another runner-up effort, this time in the 100-free with a mark of 57.64.
Senior Katie Tyler (Hadley, Mass./Hopkins Academy) finished third overall in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.95, while in the 200-yard individual medley, Beckett was sixth with a time of 2:33.13. She also placed sixth in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:55.09.
Tyler then grabbed fifth overall in the 200-yard butterfly, finishing in a time of 2:36.88, while Ratzlaff was eighth in the same event with a mark of 2:53.87.
In the final swimming event of the day, the 400-yard freestyle relay, the Lyons foursome of Tyler, sophomore Delany Berry (Collinsville, Conn./Canton), Burkett and Craig placed second overall with a time of 4:00.84.
In the diving events, MHC first year Samantha Nemivant (Scottsdale, Ariz./Notre Dame Prep) continued to shine. She won the 1-meter event with 243.30 points and placed second off the 3-meter board with 227.50 points.
Mount Holyoke is right back in action on Saturday, traveling to Hartford, Conn., for a tri-match against Trinity and Vassar (1pm). Wheaton also returns to the pool on Saturday, hosting Babson in dual meet action (1pm). Clark resumes its schedule on January 21st when it hosts Coast Guard at 12pm.
