WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

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Women's Swimmers Finish Second at Zippy Invitational

Andrea Lehner

AKRON, OH – The 2007 Zippy Invitational, hosted by the University of Akron, concluded Sunday night with the University at Buffalo’s women’s swimming and diving team placing second in the 11-team meet. The Bulls scored 1,289 points in the three-day meet with Mid-American Conference rival Ohio taking the meet with 1,588.5 points.

UB’s Andrea Lehner (Lockport, NY/Orchard Park) won her third individual event of the three days as she took the grueling 1,650-yard freestyle in 17:08.78, eight seconds better than Ohio’s Stacey Huber who took second place in 17:16.53. Jordan Deren (Lackawanna, NY/Nardin Academy) finished sixth in 17:32.31, cutting eight seconds from her season-best and Kim Dale (Cary, NC/Raleigh Charter) finished ninth in 17:45.47, slicing 16 seconds off her previous best.

The Bulls also claimed the meet’s final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay. The UB foursome of Sam Palma (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster), Jessie Koltz (Chanango Bridge, NY/Chenango Valley), Catherine Scharf (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) and Meghan Lafferty (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) finished in 3:30.68, cutting more than five seconds off the fastest time of the season.

Sam Palma

Palma, Koltz and Scharf all reached the championship final of the 100-yard freestyle. Palma was UB’s top finisher in the race in 52.78 after posting a season-best 52.32 in the prelims. Koltz finished fifth in 53.25 after a 53.01 in the heats for her season best. Scharf placed seventh in 53.33, her season best.

Ashley Schaffert (Lockport, NY/Lockport) won the B final of the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:26.51.

The Bulls will take the month of December off to concentrate on final exams and training. UB is next in action on January 11 when they travel to Binghamton

Final team scores: Ohio 1,588.5, UB 1,289, Illinois State 1,167, Xavier 1,073, Clarion 926.5, Akron 919, Duquesne 851, Shippensburg 456, Bloomsburg 344, Niagara 210, Alma 33.