MSMC Blue Knights Swim to Eighth Place Finish

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Mount Saint Mary College Women’s Swimming team rounded out the season on Sunday with a strong finish to the Metropolitan Championship. Harley Illingworth and Samantha McGregor set individual school records, while the 400-yard freestyle relay team posted a new school mark for the Knights.

Illingworth, along with classmate Kyra McNamee, each swam faster than the previous school mark in the 1,650-yard freestyle in the final on Sunday. Illingworth finished fourth in the event with a new school record time of 17:53.54, with McNamee placing ninth overall in 18:32.37. Both swimmers bested the old mark of 18:38.16 set on February 16, 2014.

The Knights had four swimmers finish inside the top-15 of the 1,650-yard freestyle and had six swimmers in the finals of the event. Jessica Daigle placed 12th in 18:54.93, with Rachael Stone following in 13th in 19:01.12. Jessica McClure swam to a 23rd place finish for the Mount, with Stephanie Adams taking 27th place.

McGregor picked up her first school record on Sunday with a 16th place finish in the 200-yard butterfly on Sunday. She swam a time of 2:24.68 for the Mount, clipping the old mark of 2:25.59 set on February 21, 2016. Regina Zeoli also turned in a strong swim in the event, taking 18th place in 2:28.01.

Junior Marissa Catania collected a fifth place finish for the Knights in the 200-yard breaststroke, with classmate Danielle Hughes turning in a 22nd place performance. Catania finished in a time of 2:25.88, with Hughes touching out in 2:43.30.

In the lone relay event of the final day, the Mount had a pair of records fall in the 400-yard freestyle. The team of Illingworth, Lauren Schroeder, Daigle and McNamee posted a record time of 3:45.64, with Illingworth setting the 100-yard freestyle record in the initial leg of the race. The team time bested the old mark of 3:46.63, while Illingworth’s leg of 55.65 seconds topped the old mark of 55.79 seconds.

Mount Saint Mary finished the event with 429 points and was second among Skyline Conference competitors in the meet.