GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Swimming Team won three events and claimed a trio of runner-up finishes on night one of the 2015 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Swimming Championship Friday. The Wasps broke four school records and a pair of top conference marks as well.
E&H got off to a strong start with a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of junior Payton Shirey (Seaford, Del.), sophomore Michaela Nolte (Hillsborough, N.C.), sophomore Jessica Richardson (Vero Beach, Fla.) and freshman Mackenzie Lingle (Roanoke, Va.) went 1:36.44 to break the ODAC record by .52 seconds and top the meet record by .71 seconds. The Wasps were just .18 seconds off of a NCAA Division III Qualifying Standard in the event as well.
In the 500-yard freestyle relay, junior Taylor Guardalabene (Charlotte, N.C.) finished second with a school-record swim of 5:12.49, besting her own top mark by 1.66 seconds. Freshman Holly Roth (Albuquerque, N.M.) was fourth in 5:15.25 while sophomore Jordan Greenburg (Cordova, Tenn.) finished 13th with a time of 5:30.83.
Sophomore Allison Fowler (Morristown, Tenn.) claimed the runner-up spot in the 200-yard individual medley, going 2:10.68, missing an E&H record by just .51 seconds. Lingle was third in the event as she swam a 2:11.93.
In the 50-yard freestyle, Emory & Henry claimed three of the top four spots as Nolte was crowned the fastest woman in the ODAC with a time of :24.07. Richardson finished second in :24.48 while Shirey was fourth, swimming a :24.65. Freshman Marina Moore (Thomasville, N.C.) finished eighth (:24.94).
In the consolation finals of the 50-free, sophomore Kia Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) was 11th (:25.62), junior Sam Brown (Memphis, Tenn.) was 13th (:26.06) and freshman Brianna Chessock (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was 14th (:26.20).
In the 400-yard medley relay, Richardson, Nolte, Fowler, Lingle shattered the E&H and ODAC record with a swim of 3:53.33 to take another event win. The previous record was 3:55.78, a 2.45 second drop. Richardson's swim of :58.37 on the leadoff leg was also good for a school best time in for the 100-yard backstroke.
After five events, Emory & Henry trails meet favorite Washington and Lee University by just two points. Day Two of the 2015 ODAC Championship will begin with Preliminaries on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.
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GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Swimming Team kicked off competition at the 2015 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship Friday morning turning in several strong preliminary times.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Shirey, Nolte, Richardson and Lingle turned in a time of 1:37.85 to qualify first for the evening's finals.
In the 500-yard freestyle, Guardalabene qualified third with a time of 5:17.77 while Roth went 5:20.64 to claim the fourth spot. Greenburg earned a place in the consolation finals with a 5:36.69 and sophomore Lauren Blakey (Davidson, N.C.) came in 24th (6:18.11).
E&H placed both swimmers in the finals of the 200-yard individual medley. Fowler went 2:13.66 for the third seed while Lingle will be the four seed after a swim of 2:14.54.
The 50-yard freestyle saw four Wasps qualify for finals and another three make the consolation finals. Nolte will have the middle of the pool with the top time of :24.19 while Richardson is seeded third (:24.56). Shirey finished in a tie for fourth place (:24.58) and Moore is seventh with a :24.78.
In the consolation finals, Hamilton took the 11th seed with a time of :25.23, Chessock was 13th, swimming a :26.11 and Brown earned the 14th spot (:26.49). Junior Sophia Alonge (Vienna, Va.) was 22nd in the event with a time of :27.73.
Emory & Henry has the number two seed in the 400-yard medley relay as Moore, freshman Kelsey Jones (Roanoke, Va.), junior Nicole Powell (Apex, N.C.) and Chessock went put together a swim of 4:12.54.
E&H will be back in the pool on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., for the Day One Finals of the 2015 ODAC Championship.
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-photo courtesy of Jamie Powell