Swimming & Diving Shoulders 157-139 Loss to Westfield State

Action photo of Lyons diver, Samantha Nemivant

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Despite a number of solid performances, the Mount Holyoke College swimming & diving team was unable to get past Westfield State University, falling by a 157-139 margin on Saturday afternoon at the MHC Natatorium. With the win, the Owls moved to 2-1 in dual meet action this season, while the Lyons slip to 1-2 overall.

MHC opened the action in the 200-yard medley relay as the foursome of first years Courtney Dunham and Gwen Evans, along with senior Topaz Mukulu and rookie Riley Hicks were second overall with a time of 2:05.55. In the 1000-yard freestyle, first year Ashton Bliss earned second place with a mark of 11:45.03, while sophomore Natalie Burkett took fourth with a time of 12:10.99.

Rookie Jacqueline Park earned the Lyons first win of the afternoon, posting a time of 2:05.41 to win the 200-yard free. Dunham was close behind in third with a mark of 2:10.69, while Hicks was fourth with a time of 2:11.21. In the 50-yard backstroke, senior Claire Beckett was runner-up with a time of 30.87. Rookie McKenzie Sumner was fifth with a time of 35.08, while sophomore Olivia Vejcik took sixth with a time of 35.62.

In the 50-yard breaststroke, junior Bri Groves was second with a mark of 32.79, while Evans took third with a 34.90. Rookie Naomi Brown gave the Lyons their second victory of the day, touching the wall with a time of 1:02.31. Bliss was close behind in third with a time of 1:06.31.

Park went on to earn second in the 50-yard free with a time of 26.19, while senior Amy Lim was third with a time of 28.20. In the 1-meter diving event, Lyons sophomore Samantha Nemivant won with a score of 257.50. That mark also served as an NCAA Regional qualifying score. Rookie Katie Kolozsvari took third (161.60), while classmate Elise Malvicini was fourth (133.90).

In the 100-yard free, Brown was second with a time of 59.37, while Park was third with a time of 59.41. Beckett was second in the 100-yard back with a 1:06.62, while Dunham was fourth with a mark of 1:12.82. The 100-yard breast saw Groves place third with a time of 1:12.68, followed by Evans in fourth with a mark of 1:18.18.

Bliss swam to second overall in the 500-yard free with a time of 5:50.29 while Burkett was fouruth with a 5:50.82. Brown earned her second win of the day in the 50-yard butterfly with a mark of 28.08, while in the 3-meter diving event, Nemivant was once again the victor with a score of 250.35.

Groves posted third in the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 1:05.15, followed by Beckett in fourth (1:05.72) and Dunham in fifth (1:13.38).

The Lyons caputred victory in the final event of the afternoon, the 200-yard freestyle relay as Brown, Park, Beckett and Groves combined for a time of 1:49.21. MHC also took second in the event as the group of junior Delany Berry, Hicks, Bliss and Lim recorded a time of 1:51.60.

Mount Holyoke returns to action next weekend when it hosts Wellesley at 1pm.