Saturday Prelims
Saturday Finals

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (11/19/06) – The Colgate women’s swimming team broke its second Patriot League record in as many days as the Raiders finished second in the 400 free relay at the Terrapin Cup. Colgate finished the meet ninth out of 15 teams with 229 points, 12 points ahead of league rival Navy.

Colgate’s sophomore quartet of Beverly Walker (Marietta, Ga.), Ashley Bottger (Weston, Conn.), Emily Murphy (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Lisa Marchi (Scottsdale, Ariz.) broke the team’s own school and league record by 0.90 seconds with a time of 3:25.70. The team battled league rival Navy the whole way, and held on to beat the Mids by 0.30 seconds. The Raiders also out-distanced the host Maryland team, as well as Yale, Villanova, William and Mary, and Kansas.

Colgate was neck-and-neck with Navy through the first two legs of the relay before Emily Murphy pulled ahead by less than 0.80 seconds with a split of 51.06, the fastest third-leg time of the race. Marchi’s split of 51.24 on the anchor portion helped the Raiders hold on for the win. Walker’s lead-off split of 52.04 is a personal-best and ranks third on Colgate’s all-time performances list.

CU’s “B” relay also swam a good race, finishing 12^th with a time of 3:31.64, which ranks third on the school’s all-time list. That team was composed of freshman Kim Siembieda (Narberth, Pa.), senior Keriann Fitzsimons (Red Hook, N.Y.), junior Colby Seamans (Naperville, Ill.) and freshman Kate Murphy (Williamsburg, Va.).

Kate Murphy completed the 200 fly in 2:06.30 to claim 12^th place after setting a Colgate varsity and freshman record with a time of 2:06.04 in the prelim. Freshman Caitlin Curran (Alpharetta, Ga.) came in 10^th in the 200 breast with a time of 2:21.49, which ranks fourth in school history.

Emily Murphy finished 16^th in the 100 free with a time of 52.33, after swimming a 52.12 in the morning preliminary. Her preliminary time tied for fifth on CU’s top-10 performances list, and her finals time ranks 10th. Bottger was 20^th in the event with a finals time of 52.40 and a prelim time of 52.29, which ranks ninth in school history. Marchi came in 23^rd in the final with a time of 52.81. She swam a 52.18 in the morning session, which is tied for seventh on the team’s all-time top times list.

Freshman Karen Baker (Houston, Texas) represented Colgate in the 1650 free. She placed 37^th with a time of 17:53.53, which puts her sixth on the squad’s top-10 performers ledger.

Colgate will take a break until its winter training trip to San Juan, Jan. 3-11. The Raiders resume intercollegiate competition on Jan. 13 when they travel to Bucknell for a three-way dual meet with Army and the host Bison.