On day two of the GMAC/MEC conference meet in Canton, Ohio, the Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team protected and extended its day one lead, reaching the halfway point of the competition with 792.5 points, 62 points ahead of second place Findlay.
The Chargers won all three individual events of the day, with two of the titles won by freshmen.
Junior Leah Tunney took the 200 freestyle by .01, just out touching Findlay, with a conference winning time of 1:54.14.
Freshman Joanna Burnham won her first conference title in the 400 IM with a lifetime best time of 4:34.70, marking the third year in a row a Charger has won this event.
Freshman Megan Clifford was conference champion in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.16.
Also in the 100 fly, senior Anna Clark finished eighth with a season best time (59.59), junior Anika Fassett finished tenth with a season best time (1:00.04), senior Stefanie Walker finished fourteenth with a season best time in prelims (1:00.53 prelims, 1:01.18 finals), sophomore Sarah Pataniczek finished seventeenth with a season best time (1:00.24), dropping two seconds from prelims, sophomore Phoebe Johnston finished twentieth with a season best time (1:00.95).
Freshman Elise Mason finished third by .2 seconds in the 400 IM with a lifetime best time and dropping almost nine seconds from prelims (4:36.00). Sophomore Amy Mills finished seventh with a season best time (4:42.68), freshman Emmalyse Dickhudt finished eleventh with a lifetime best time (4:48.19), dropping over eight seconds from prelims.
Sophomore Caroline Holmes finished third in the 200 freestyle, with a season best time and just .26 behind first place (1:54.40), junior Marie Taylor finished fifth (1:57.23), junior Anna Clark finished thirteenth with a season best time (1:59.89).
The 400 medley relay of Caroline Holmes, Emmalyse Dickhudt, Megan Clifford, and Marie Taylor finished second behind Findlay by .52 with a time of 3:53.92.
The Chargers are in a strong position entering the final two days of the competition, but are still in a tight race with the Oilers for the team title, with Friday and Saturday's competition determining the outcome of Hillsdale's push for a third-consecutive conference title. The action continues tomorrow, with prelim action at 10 a.m. in the morning, and championship racing taking place at 6 p.m. tonight. Contested events include the 500 meter freestyle, the 100 backstroke, the 100 breaststroke, the 200 butterfly, and the 800 freestyle relay.
Written by Zoe Tracey
Photo by Andy Smith, Malone Athletics