SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The five-time defending Landmark Conference champion Susquehanna women's and diving team opened its conference season with a 137-125 victory over visiting The Catholic University of America. It was the first dual meet of the season for SU which boasted several program top-10 times.
The 200 medley relay team of Devon Niness, Megan Duck, Madeline Toohey and Julia Doherty was second overall with a time of 1:57.66, three seconds shy of the winning time. Later in the afternoon, SU captured the 200 free relay behind swims from Katie Willis, Doherty, Jessica Jozefiak and Joann Butkus.
SU took home the four through six spots in the 1000 free. Jozefiak then placed first in the 200 free with her time of 2:03.99 and Caroline Henderson was third after touching the wall in 2:06.72.
Erin McElwee and Niness were second and third, respectively, in the 100 backstroke with times of 1:04.40 and 1:04.72.
Butkus and Duck went one-two in the 100 breaststroke with respective times of 1:10.54 and 1:11.12.
Senior Kelsey Lessard took home third in the 200 butterfly (2:21.81) with Margaux Palaski in fifth (2:24.10) and Toohey in sixth (2:32.45). Palaski later went on to win the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.28, the ninth-fastest time in program history.
Willis won the 50 free with her time of 25.31, the eighth-best mark in program history. Jozefiak's time of 26.57 placed her third with Doherty in fifth (27.16).
Willis went on to win the 100 free with a time of 55.59 which stands as the ninth-best mark in SU history. Butkus was directly behind with her second-place time of 56.67.
McElwee won the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:19.45 and Duck won the 200 breaststroke in 2:34.96 – seventh-best in program history and easily ahead of the second-place time of 2:41.14.
SU took home third through fifth in the 500 free with Val Stearns third (5:42.48), Lindsey VanKirk fourth (5:44.42) and Morgan Sattler fifth (5:45.38).
Finally, Lessard easily won the 400 IM with her time of 4:58.41.
The Crusaders are back in action Nov. 14 in a meet at Gettysburg with Messiah also in attendance.
