Another three conference titles kept the Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team out in front in the team race at the end of the third day of the G-MAC/MEC Championships at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.
But with just 29 points separating the Chargers from second-place Findlay after Friday's events, the race for the meet championship will come down to the wire on Saturday.
As it stands, the Chargers are still in the lead with 1218.5 points, ahead of the Oilers' score of 1,189, despite spotting Findlay 64 points in the diving events. Hillsdale's lead is thanks to several strong performances, which continued on day three of the four day meet.
Freshman Elise Mason broke her second school record in the 500 freestyle, earning her second conference title and getting the NCAA DII B-cut and conference meet record with a lifetime best time of 5:01.19.
Freshman Megan Clifford won her second conference title in the 200 butterfly, earning an NCAA DII B-cut and lifetime best time in prelims 2:05.15, and 2:06.52 finals.
The 800 freestyle relay of Elise Mason, Megan Clifford, Leah Tunney, and Caroline Holmes won the conference title, just missing the meet record by less than a second and winning the event by 13 seconds.
In the 500 freestyle, junior Leah Tunney finished fifth (5:08.18 prelims, 5:12.08 finals), junior Sarah Clark finished eleventh (5:17.85 prelims, 5:18.57 finals), sophomore Sarah Pataniczek finished twelfth (5:19.77), sophomore Amy Mills finished fourteenth with a season best time (5:21.57) and junior Anika Fassett finished twenty-second with a season best time (5:27.51).
In the 100 backstroke, sophomore Caroline Holmes finished third with a season best time in prelims (57.62 prelims, 58.09 finals), sophomore Cecilia Guadalupi had a close fourth place finish with a season best time (58.12), junior Leah Tunney finished ninth (59.46), junior Sydney Slepian finished eleventh with a season best time (1:00.07) and senior Carissa Henderson finished nineteenth (1:02.27)
In the 200 butterfly, senior Anna Clark finished fourth with a season best time (2:11.33), junior Anika Fassett finished sixth with a season best time in prelims (2:14.26 prelims, 2:14.85 finals), senior Stefanie Walker finished fourteenth (2:25.40) and sophomore Phoebe Johnston finished eighteenth with a season best time (2:22.04).
In the 100 breaststroke, freshman Joanna Burnham finished sixth (1:07.80), freshman Emmalyse Dickhudt finished ninth (1:07.89) and junior Marie Taylor finished thirteenth with a season best time (1:10.07).
Hillsdale will wrap up its pursuit of a third straight G-MAC/MEC title on the final day of the meet, Saturday, with the 1,650 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay all being contested. Prelims will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the finals in all the events taking place at 6 p.m., and the presentation of the championship trophy to the winning school to follow.
Written by Zoe Tracey
Photo Courtesy of Andy Smith, Malone Athletics