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Women’s Swimming Sparkles, Wins Third-Straight Conference Championship

By Maxime Devillaz
Co-Editor-in-Chief

It was a déjà-vu weekend for the women’s swimming team as it defended its third straight Metropolitan Conference Collegiate Championship on Sunday, Feb. 22, at Rutgers University, N.J.

Senior Johanna Pettersson was recognized as the most outstanding female swimmer of the event, awarded the 2015 Joe Stetz Prize. Pettersson snatched many points over the weekend to fill up the Pioneer account. For one, she topped the 100-yard backstroke event ahead of her fellow teammates juniors Meghan Brazier and Seren Jones. All three swimmers noted NCAA “B” qualifiers, as they clocked at 54.73, 56.06, and 56.28, respectively.

Photo by Jennifer Mejia
Photo by Jennifer Mejia

“We had some phenomenal swims, especially since some of our swimmers weren’t fully rested,” Jones said.

Senior Carolin Rademacher also shone on top as she finished off her last ever Conference meet with an overwhelming 400-yard individual relay time of 4:22.56. Freshman Christina Garcia Mauri hit the wall eight seconds later in the same event.

Reigning National Champion Joyce Kwok delivered a NCAA “A” qualifying time of 1:59.52, which lead her to a first place in the 200-yard butterfly event. Freshman Erika Hultman came in third with a time of 2:09.05.

The Green Machine totaled 1,235 points throughout the three- day meet, but not all of the points earned came from individual events. The Pioneers showed collective spirit, as well, with many medley relay victories.

Perhaps the most impressive effort did not go all the way to the first-spot in the 800-yard medley relay, although it will stand high in the record books. Pettersson, Rademacher, Kwok and freshman Laura Bendfeldt scrambled together a new school best at 7:32.37, beating the one set two years ago at the Metropolitan Championships.

Head Coach Maureen Travers, who also got recognized for her dedicated work as the 2015 Dick Krempicki Women’s Coach of the Year, will gather the group once more before the team tunes out for off-season. Seven swimmers made the National Championships, which will take place on March 11–14, in Indianapolis, Ind.

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