Two more title-worthy performances highlighted the second day of competition for the Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving teams at the G-MAC/MEC Championships on Wednesday night.
Sophomore Joanna Burnham led a 1-2 finish for the Chargers with a phenomenal swim in the 400 individual medley, winning the race in 4:30.55 -- a NCAA B-cut qualifying time and the second fastest time ever swam by a Charger in the event in competition. Burnham beat out teammate Elise Mason, who took second in the race in 4:33.50. Junior Amy Mills placed seventh for the Chargers in 4:49.17, while freshman Rotem Andegeko took 10th and sophomore Emmalyse Dickhudt finished 11th as well.
The Chargers also took a stirring victory in the 400 medley relay, edging out top-seeded Findlay with a winning time of 3:51.02. Burnham swam on the relay, along with Caroline Holmes, Megan Clifford and Marie Taylor.
Clifford had a strong race for the Chargers as well in the 100 butterfly, taking second in a Hillsdale record time of 56.18, breaking the previous mark of 56.45 set by Linda Okonkowski in 2009. Anika Fassett finished ninth for the Chargers in 59.73, Madison Pyhel took 10th in 59.76, and Sarah Pataniczek 11th in 59.90 as well.
In the 200 freestyle, Holmes, a junior, also posted an impressive runner-up finish in a time of 1:53.98, also a top five time in program history and a new personal best. Senior Leah Tunney took sixth in 1:55.59 for the Chargers, Clifford finished seventh in 1:56.71 in an impressive turnaround from her 100 fly race, Taylor took ninth in a time of 1:57.85, and sophomore Lily Golladay placed 11th in 1:58.58.
Halfway through the competition, Hillsdale sits in second place with 797.5 points, trailing Findlay's total of 877, but comfortably ahead of Ashland's third-place 415.5. The Chargers will look to try to make up ground on the Oilers in the third day of competition, beginning tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. with preliminary races, and concluding with finals starting at 6 p.m.
Photo by Edward Smith