Mariner Women are Skyline Champions for a Second Year!
PURCHASE, N.Y., January 27, 2018 – The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) women's swimming & diving team has earned its second-straight Skyline Conference Championship! The Mariners won the conference meet with a score of 587, ahead of second-place Mount St. Mary (343 points) and the rest of the eight-team field.
Plebe Victoria Kirshner, was named Most Outstanding Performer and the Rookie of the Year for her performance in the two-day event. She had five total first-place finishes (three individual and two relays) and set three records (one Academy Record and two Conference and Meet Records).
The following Mariners won individual conference championships and earned First Team All-Skyline:
• Midshipman Liz Grove, 1/c, Kirshner, Midshipman Erica Lou, 3/c and Midshipman Pamela Grod, 2/c, in the 200 medley relay (1:53.83)
• Sophomore Meika Gathy in the 1000 freestyle (11:22.81)
• Kirshner in the 200 free (1:58.56 – Academy Record), in the 100 free (54.34 – Conference and Meet Record) and the 100 butterfly (59.89 – Conference and Meet Record)
• Junior Kara Korengel in the one-meter dive (386.20) and the three-meter dive (409.25)
• Grove in the 200 backstroke (2:14.67)
• Grod in the 200 breaststroke (2:32.96)
• Lou in the 200 individual medley (2:18.00)
• and Gathy, Grod, Grove and Kirshner in the 400 free relay (3:47.78)
The following Mariners earned Second Team All-Skyline with second place finishes:
• Plebe Emily Orski in the 1000 free (11:29.38)
• Grove in the 100 back (1:01.57) and the 200 IM (2:21.00)
• Grod in the 100 breast (1:12.05)
• Plebe Eliza Miller in the 200 fly (2:25.64)
• Kirshner in the 50 free (25.03)
• and Gathy in the 500 free (5:31.54)
The Mariners return to action on Saturday, Feb. 3, when they travel to Glassboro, N.J. for a non-conference meet against Rowan University. First event is scheduled for 1 p.m.