WORCESTER, Mass. - The Mount Holyoke College swimming & diving team took to the water for the first time in 2017-18 on Friday evening, competing at Assumption College against the Division II Greyhounds. The Lyons slip to 0-1 in dual meet action, while Assumption moves to 3-0 overall.
MHC opened the action in the 200-yard medley relay with its top team finishing sixth overall with a time of 2:00.47. The foursome of senior captain Claire Beckett,junior Bri Groves, first year Naomi Brown and senior Amy Lim comprised the fifth-place team.
First year Julia Swinehart, senior Topaz Mukulu, along with rookies Jacqueline Park and Ashton Bliss placed sixth with a time of 2:13.33, while senior Rachel Polfer, first year Gwenyth Evans, senior Cailin Van Nevel and sophomore Jane Zhang were seventh with a time of 2:18.65 in the 200-medley relay.
In the 1000-yard freestyle, sophomore Sarah Ratzlaff was third with a time of 12:40.17, followed by junior captain Delany Berry in fourth with a mark of 12:48.41. First year Allyn Dunlap was fifth overall with a mark of 13:05.80.
The 200-yard freestyle saw rookie McKenzie Sumner finished fourth with a time of 2:12.59, while classmate Riley Hicks was fifth with a time of 2:15.53. Sophomore Natalie Burkett earned sixth with a mark of 2:18.15.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Swinehart took sixth with a time of 1:07.76, followed by rookie Courtney Dunham in seventh (1:12.39), first year Caitlyn Richmond in eighth with a time of 1:13.76.
Groves swan to fourth overall in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:12.42, while Beckett took seventh (1:17.95) and Evans was eighth (1:20.85).
The 200-yard butterfly saw Bliss take fourth overall with a time of 2:26.82, followed by Brown in fifth with a mark of 2:29.49. Park was fifth in the 50-yard free with a time of 27.14, followed by Lim (28.59), Dunham (28.70), Mukulu (28.75), sophomore Olivia Vejcik in ninth (30.26) and Dunlap taking 10th (31.43).
Pacing the 100-free was Park, who was fourth overall with a time of 58.80. Hicks was fifth with a time of 1:01.03. In the 200-back, Swinehart was fourth with a time of 2:28.71, while Beckett took fifth with a time of 2:30.54.
Groves earned runner-up in the 200-breast with a time of 2:35.00, while Bliss was fourth in the 500-yard free with a time of 5:45.05. Dunham was the top finisher for the Lyons in the 100-fly with a time of 1:12.74 and Groves took fourth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:26.03.
In the final event of the evening, the Lyons saw the foursome of Brown, Sumner, Park and Lim earn fourth overall in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Berry, Dunham, Burkett and Mukulu were fifth with a time of 1:56.82, while Ratzlaff, Vejcik, Zhang and Polfer were sixth with a time of 2:02.51.
Mount Holyoke returns to action on Saturday when it competes at the Smith College Relays, scheduled to begin at 10:00am.
