Wellesley Leads Seven Sisters Swimming & Diving after Day One

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College leads a field of five after day one of the 2013 Seven Sisters Swimming and Diving Championships.  The Blue posted wins in eight of the days 13 events for 893 total points, putting them in position to claim their 16th-consecutive title.  Mount Holyoke sits in second (537), Vassar in third (428), Smith in fourth (337), while Bryn Mawr rounds out the field in fifth (252).

Six Seven Sisters records were set on the day, with four athletes also surpassing NCAA standards. Wellesley led the way with eight event wins, while Mount Holyoke picked up three victories. Bryn Mawr and Smith won one event each to round out the All-Seven Sisters honors. 

Wellesley's Dorothy Ren accounted for three individual wins for the Blue, recording wins and also setting new Seven Sisters records in the 200-IM (2:12.39), the 100-fly (58.01) and the 100-back (59.02).  Also picking up individual wins for Wellesley were Charlotte Harris and Emily Sotomayor. Harris won the 200-free in 1:59.30 and Sotomayor claimed the 100-breast title, swimming a 1:09.13.

The hosts also nabbed victories in three of the four contested relays, setting two Seven Sisters records in the process.  In the 400-medley relay, the Wellesley team of Gabriela Kovacikova, Sotomayor, Ren and Ieva Galinyte won with a record-breaking time of 4:06.29. In the 200-medley relay, Wellesley's Emma Mrkonic, Kendra Waters, Ren and Harris combined for a 1:54.57, while in the 800-free relay, the Blue team of Harris, Anne Hamilton, Mariam Amirkhanashvili, and Galinyte won with a new record time of 8:03.68.

Mount Holyoke started the day strong, taking the first two events and winning three overall. In the 200-free relay, Bethany Aban, Maya Lazarovich, Nora Cunningham, Cathleen Pruden combined for a time of 1:42.79, outstretching Wellesley's "A" relay team, which finished in 1:42.94. Pruden later added wins in the 500-free (5:11.96) and the 400-IM (4:30.82), shattering the Seven Sisters record and picking up an NCAA "B" cut in the 400-IM.

Rounding out the day's swimming events, Bryn Mawr got an individual victory in the 50-free.  Meredith Davis posted a winning time of 25.38 to take the All-Seven Sisters title. 

In the diving portion of today's meet, Smith's Jenika Parson took top honors as three divers surpassed NCAA qualifying standards. Parson recorded a score of 474.55 to earn All-Seven Sisters honors in record fashion, while Wellesley's Hayley Goydan (466.95), and Gabby Cooper-Vespa (430.05) also surpassed NCAA qualifying standards, finishing in second and third place.

At the banquet following the final swimming session of the day, Smith College's Mackenzie Bradley was named the 2013 Marly Pineda Award recipient. 

The 2013 Seven Sisters Swimming and Diving Championship wraps up tomorrow.  The three-meter diving event kicks off the action at 9:30am, followed by the final swimming session beginning at 12:15pm. Follow the action at: http://www.http://www.wellesleyblue.com/sports/wswimdive/sevensisters/2013

Day One Results

*Seven Sisters record
^NCAA Qualifying Score (1-m: 395; 3-m: 410)
@NCAA "B" cut

Smith Head Coach Kim Bierwert and Wellesley Athletic Director Bridget Belgiovine present the award to Mackenzie Bradley