Seniors Swim Away with Success
Loretto, Pa. – Seniors Stephanie Hozempa (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads), Jennifer Jeffreys (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township), Sirae Riley (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest), and Alicia Vasiladis (Windsor, Ont./Saint Thomas) pooled their efforts together for one last meet at the Stokes Natatorium and conquered Radford University by a final count of 140.00-56.00. The Flash also knocked off Youngstown State University by a final tally of 115.50-83.50. Youngstown State defeated Radford by a 142.00-58.00 score.
The Flash vaulted out to an early start after capturing first and second place in the 200 medley relay. The lineup of sophomore Elise Merrill (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring), sophomore Blair Kosela (Crescent, Pa./Moon Area), sophomore Elyse Peterman Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) and freshman Elyse Dobrick (Zelienople, Pa.) opened up the double dual-meet by joining for a time of 1:52.43. SFU’s second-place finishing team in the 200 medley relay, Riley, Kaitlin Lyons (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), sophomore Stephanie O’Donnell (Prospect, Conn./Woodland Regional), and junior Katie Snyder (Dayton, Ohio/Butler), concluded their efforts just a second behind their comrades in a mark of 1:53.62.
In the third event at Stokes Natatorium, freshman Melissa Heintz (Boyertown, Pa.) triumphed in the 200 yard freestyle event by finishing with a time of 1:58.69. Heintz was chased by her counterpart, O’Donnell, who produced a second place finish with a 1:59.93 finish.
Kosela and Merrill both shined in the 50 yard freestyle, as Kosela sprinter to a first place effort of 25.44, while Merrill tied YSU’s Brittany Senn with a 25.57 mark for second place.
Sophomore Kristen Low (Mississauga, Ont./Cawthra Park) turned out another first place finish for the Flash as she scampered for a 2:15.20 time on the 200 yard IM. Junior Jenna Raptosh (Akron, Pa./Ephrata) was three second’s off of Low’s pace, finishing in second with a 2:18.33 mark.
Kosela prevailed in her second individual race of the afternoon, this time in the 100 yard freestyle by flying for a time of 55.06. O’Donnell hit the pad two-tenths of a second later than her ally for a second place time of 55.27.
Today marked the final time Hozempa, Jeffreys, Riley and Vasiladis would swim competitively in Loretto.
“These girls have been through just about every obstacle in their four year journey here. If it weren’t for them, our very existence may be in question. I am ecstatic the girls were able to go out on top in their final home meet,” said head coach Patrick Gallagher.
The Red Flash succeed in four individual races and one medley event. The team moves over the .500 mark to 8-7 and will try for another victory when they voyage to Loudonville, N.Y. for their second dual meet of the 2008 season.