Swim Continues Success

Heather Norris

The LIU Post women’s swim team, which was just awarded the Team Scholar All American Award for having the highest GPA among all divisions on February 23rd, has continued its roll of success into the postseason.

First, the team headed to Rutgers in New Jersey to take second in the Metropolitan Championships. The team started the meet off strong, winning the very first event on the very first day. The Pioneers’ 200 free relay earned a NCAA ‘B’ cut when senior Cornelia Hanes, freshman Courtney Delehanty, sophomore Tamara Garriock, and junior Mairi Morrison teamed up to finish the event in 1:35.84. Next, Garriock earned her own personal ‘B’ cut with a 5:01.29 500 free, and Hanes earned a ‘B’ cut in the 50 free.

On the second day of the event, the team started off the finals portion with a win in the 200 medley relay from Garriock, Hanes, Morrison, and freshman Johanna Pettersson. As the day went on, Hanes earned another NCAA ‘B’ cut, this time in the 100 fly, while Garriock made another ‘B’ in the 200 free with a first place finish in the event. Finally, Pettersson finished the wins for the Pioneers on day two with a ‘B’ cut win in the 100 back.

The Pioneers continued their success into the third day when freshman Malin Hedberg started the finals off with a third place finish in the 1650 free with a time of 18:06.05. Pettersson then garnered another ‘B’ cut in the 200 back with a second place finish. Before the day ended and LIU Post walked away with second place, Garriock managed another ‘B’ cut, this time in the 200 breast, and the 400 free relay team, consisting of Garriock, Pettersson, Delehanty, and Hanes wrapped up the meet with the Pioneers’ final NCAA ‘B’ cut of the weekend.

On Friday, February 4th, the LIU Post swim team headed to Annapolis, Maryland to compete in the ECAC Championships. Again, the Pioneers looked strong early on, taking first in the 200 free relay early in the finals portion of the day. Next, Hanes finished first in the ‘A’ heat of the 50 free. By the end of the first day of competition, the team was in sixth place with a score of 97.5.

The Pioneers opened up the second day of finals with a silver finish in the 200 medley relay when Garriock, Pettersson, Hanes, and Morrison joined together to swim a 1:44.86. Later, in the 100 fly, Hanes took third with a 56.63 finish.

On the third and final day of competition, the Pioneers, who suffered largely from lack of participants in finals events, fell to ninth place with 150.5 points on the board. In first place was the US Naval Academy, with 583 points, followed by Harvard and Marist, who tied for second place with 529 points each. Next on the schedule for the Pioneers is a trip west to compete in the NCAA Championships in Mansfield, Texas from March 14th-17th.