Knights Finish Second in 2017 Skyline Conference

PURCHASE – The Mount Saint Mary College Women’s Swimming team had its string of five straight conference championships stopped on Saturday after finishing second behind the United States Merchant Marine Academy at the 2017 Skyline Conference Championship, finishing with 368.5 points. Sophomore Harley Illingworth won two events on Saturday on her way to being named the Skyline Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Year.

Illingworth won three individual events over the two-day championship, setting one meet record and three school records in the process. After posting a school and championship record time in the 1,000-yard freestyle on Friday, Illingworth set school records in winning both the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley on Saturday.

Illingworth topped the field in a school record time of 2:10.98 in the backstroke, besting the previous mark of 2:12.32 set in 2015. She later won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 2:16.16, topping her own school record of 2:20.33 set on November 21, 2015.

Sophomore Kyra McNamee had a strong showing on Saturday, winning the 500-yard freestyle race and setting a new Skyline Conference Championship record. She finished the race in a time of 5:21.33, topping the old mark of 5:22.00. McNamee also finished second for the Knights in the 100-yard freestyle, posting a time of 56.13 seconds.

Marissa Catania swam to a second place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke on Saturday in a time of 2:28.59 and was followed by Danielle Hugh who touched out in sixth place in a time of 2:49.27.

Mount Saint Mary placed four swimmers inside the top-10 in two events on Saturday, including the 500-yard freestyle. Following McNamee in the race were Jessica Daigle in second place, Rachael Stone in seventh place and Samantha McGregor in 10th place.

Diagle added a seventh place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, while Stone took seventh in the 200-yard backstroke. Lauren Schroeder turned in a seventh place showing in the 200-yard individual medley and took 10th for the Knights in the 100-yard freestyle.

Senior Regina Zeoli posted a fourth place finish for the Knights in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:04.45, while Allison Sciucco swam to an 11th place finish in the 100-yard freestyle.

The Knights closed the championship on Saturday with a third place showing in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The team of Daigle, Sciucco, McNamee and Illingworth finished in a time of 3:47.36.

USMMA won the event with a point total of 483.5, followed by the Knights. Third place Sarah Lawrence completed the event with 256 points.

Next up for Mount Saint Mary is the three day Metropolitan Championship Meet held at Rutgers from February 17-19.