By Joshua Laska - Website Coordinator
The Vulcan swim team is off to a great start in the 2010-11 season, after capturing first place at the Grove City Winter Invitational. The Vulcans won 15 events (11 individual) and set six invitational records at the two-day event.
The Vulcans posted 883.5 to earn its second first-place finish this season. Washington & Jefferson finished second with a total of 716 points, followed by Lock Haven (610.5) and East Stroudsburg (563).
Junior Melissa Gates won a combined seven events (three individual), while setting a combined six invitational record (two individual). Gates broke her own school record in the 50 freestyle and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships. With a time of 23.26 seconds, which broke her old record by over two-tenths of a second. In the 200 freestyle, Gates set an invitational record with a time of 3:53.96.
In the 200 freestyle relay of sophomore Georgia Emert, freshman Kelsey Nuhfer, freshman Stephanie Bolt, and Gates posted a time of 1:36.39, which was enough to get the win and set an invitational record.
Freshman Clarissa Enslin, freshman Jess Machmer, Bolt, and Gates won the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:30.70. In the 800 freestyle relay of Bolt, Emert, Enslin, and Gates broke the pool and invitational records with a time of 7:42.78, which won the event by over 30 seconds.
Freshman Kate Mellon reached a NCAA provisional time after winning the 1650 freestyle with a time of 17:57.48.
Sophomore Bruna Carvalho won both the 100 and 200 butterfly, with a time of 59.37 seconds in the 100 butterfly and 2:11.01 in the 200 butterfly.
The Vulcans next meet is the Citrus Classic Swim Meet on Jan. 7 in Mesa, Ariz., before taking on Duquesne in Pittsburgh on Jan. 22.
