West Chester Women Fall Short at Lehigh

MEET RESULTS

BETHLEHEM, PA – Ann Carozza (West Chester, Pa./East) registered a pair of NCAA 'B' cut times while logging the fastest time in Division II this winter in the 200-yard freestyle, but Division I host Lehigh managed to stave off a determined West Chester squad at Jacobs Pool Friday night.
 
The Mountain Hawks edged the Golden Rams, 131-111, despite another strong showing from Carozza, who helped the 200 medley relay to a first-place effort in addition to her two individual wins. She teamed with Lila DiCarlo (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity), McKenzie Hemingway (Chestertown, Md./Queen Anne's County) and Samantha Trumble (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown) on the relay to record a time of 1 minute, 48.04 seconds.
 
"(Carozza's) time in the 200 free was pure grit," WCU head coach Steve Mazurek mentioned. "(The coaching staff) is really proud of how these athletes are handling the workload right now. Some managed to pull off season bests in the middle of tough training stretch. They had to dig deep. But, we saw a few excellent performances tonight."
 
Carozza touched the wall in 1:50.55 in the 200 free and 2:02.09 in the 200 butterfly to hit her 'B' time cuts for the meet.
 
Maddie Koehle (State College, Pa./State College Area) won the 200 breast in 2:22.36, and Mikayla Niness (Spring City, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) won the 500 free in 5:09.46 for West Chester's other first-place showings. Niness was runner-up in the 50 free with a time of 24.75. Hemingway, who was part of that medley relay winning squad mentioned earlier, placed third in the 50 free in 25.21.
 
West Chester did not win the mile (1650 free), but did show some depth as Caitlin Hamill (Collegeville, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) and Keeley Durkin (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley) placed second and third, respectively, in the race.
 
A pair of runner-up performances off each of the diving boards highlighted those events for the Golden Rams. Sophia Ginochetti (Forty Forte, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) was second off the 3-meter board with a score of 220.65 while Shannon O'Hara (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Twp.)       was second off the 1-meter board with a 234.59.
 
West Chester heads to Bloomsburg next Friday for a dual meet against the Huskies at 5 p.m.