Results
Elizabethtown, PA — It doesn't seem to matter the sport, Messiah and Elizabethtown College always seem to deliver great competition.
Wendesday night's swimming meet was no exception, as the Falcons pushed Elizabethtown to their collective limits while earning numerous Middle Atlantic Conference qualifying times.
Messiah's men's team (1-1) won seven individual events en route to a commanding 112-83 victory, while the women's team dominated the relay events, yet dropped to 0-2 overall with a hard-fought, 98-107 defeat.
The women opened the meet by going first and third in the 400-yard medley relay. Junior Ashley Bell, sophomore Angela Klaczak, sophomore Molly Handley and freshman Krista Palmer took the top spot in a time of 4:32.64, while the third slot went to sophomore Kristen Listor, senior Emily Westerberg, sophomore Jean Cho, and junior Chloe Hockley in 4:45.52.
“That was a nice start, a pleasant surprise,” said Messiah head coach Nancy Luley.
In the second event, the men's 400-yard medley relay, Messiah went uncontested and grabbed the first 15 men's points of the evening.
Elizabethtown would dominate the next four events, until freshman Hannah Schaffer earned her first of two individual wins while breaking her own record in the 50-yard freestyle in :25.90. According to Luley, Schaffer is only getting stronger and more confident with each collegiate contest.
“[Hanna] is not done breaking that record,” she said.
Junior Zachary McArdle's first of two individual wins of the evening came in the next event, the men's 50-yard freestyle, boasting a time of :23.28. It would prove to be the catalyst to Messiah's dominance, as the men would win the next four events — earning 57 points to Elizabethtown's 23.
Freshmen Daniel Wingert and Reid Hartzell finished in the top two spots of the men's 200-yard individual medley, with Wingert's 23.28 taking the top spot.
The men's 100-yard butterfly saw sophomore Tim Alarcon win the event with a dominant time of :58.87, while freshman Zachary Kreuger's third-place time of 1:02.52 put him within the Middle Atlantic Conference's qualifying standard.
Making her mark between the men's wins, Schaffer earned her second individual win of the night, posting a time of :57.88 in the 100-yard freestyle.
In the next two men's events, McArdle and sophomore Spenser Warren combined for two solid wins in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, respectively.
Junior Ashley Bell's time of 1:07.35 in the 100-yard backstroke led the event with teammates finishing third and fifth.
The individual efforts would end with wins in the men's and women's 100-yard breaststroke. On the women's side, Messiah placed sophomore Aimee West, freshman Amanda White, and senior Emily Westerberg one, two four with times of 1:17.19, 1:19.22 and 1:20.30, respectively. For the men, Wingert collected his second of two individual wins in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:05.57.
In the final women's event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Messiah challenged Elizabethtown until the very end. The Falcons won the event by finishing first and third, and outscoring the Blue Jays 13-4, but to no avail. The women of Elizabethtown pulled ahead in the overall points 107-98 and finished the night victorious.
“[The women] swam their hearts out,” Luley said. “We mixed things up tonight. There were some nice swims.”
After only two contests, Luley said she is very impressed with where her team and is looking forward to their home opener.
“I have seen great improvement by our returners,” she said. “They are farther along at this point than last year. We are on track and looking good going into Penn State (University-) Altoona.”
Messiah will host PSU-Altoona in Fredricksen Natatorium Saturday. Swimming is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
