February 19, 2006
Shorewomen Win Three Medals at CC Champs
Event Shortened Due to Concerns Over Air Quality

LANCASTER, PA - The Washington College women's swim team earned three medals at a shortened Centennial Conference Championships this weekend at Franklin & Marshall College. The championships were suspended on Sunday due to concerns over air quality at F&M's Kunkel Aquatic Center. The event was moved to Swarthmore College for time trials only Sunday evening for the remaining events. Five of the eight schools at the championships elected to swim at the time trials.

A statement released by F&M read, "Despite the best efforts at Franklin & Marshall, College officials have been unable to get the appropriate officials to test the air quality in the Kunkel Aquatic Center. Because the College could not guarantee the health and safety of the student-athletes, officials have shut down the use of the facility."

Conference officials decided that no team scoring or individual medals would be awarded for the time trials at Swarthmore and that no team champions would be declared. Washington junior Liz Shoemaker (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga) set a school record in the 200 backstroke at the time trials.

Medalists and individual performances from Friday and Saturday would continue to be recognized, however, and the Shorewomen were well-represented. Junior Ally Simons (Camp Hill, PA/Cumberland Valley) won silver in the 100 butterfly in a WC season-best time of 1:00.00 and finished fourth in the 200 individual medley in a WC season-best time of 2:13.60. Sophomore Megan Morse (Easton, MD/Sts. Peter & Paul) took the bronze in the 200 freestyle in a WC season-best time of 1:57.51 to become Washington's third-fastest swimmer ever in that event. She also finished fourth in the 500 freestyle in a WC season-best time of 5:17.5 to become the Shorewomen's fourth-fastest swimmer ever in that event.

Morse and Simons also swam the third and fourth legs, respectively, of Washington's bronze medal-winning 200 medley relay team. That relay team, which also featured Shoemaker and sophomore Nicole Ludwig (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan), completed the race in a WC season-best time of 1:53.02.

Shoemaker added a fourth-place finish in the 100 backstroke in a WC season-best time of 1:01.10, while Ludwig was fifth in the 100 breaststroke in a WC season-best time of 1:11.16. Ludwig's time made her Washington's fourth-fastest swimmer ever in that event.

Junior Caitlin Auger (McLean, VA/McLean) finished 10th in the 100 backstroke in 1:03.30 and 12th in the 50 freestyle in 25.69. Junior Kimmy Kraeer (Denton, MD/North Caroline) placed 10th in the 50 freestyle in 25.61 to become the Shorewomen's sixth-fastest swimmer ever in that event. Freshman Brittany Siburt (Stevensville, MD/Kent Island) was 10th in the 400 individual medley in 4:56.24.

Morse, Simons, Auger, and Kraeer were fourth in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:41.19. Shoemaker, Ludwig, Simons, and Morse were fifth in the 400 medley relay in 4:07.57. Junior Erin Jones (Crofton, MD/Arundel), Shoemaker, Auger, and sophomore Nicole Stanton (Columbia, MD/Hammond) were fifth in the 800 freestyle in 8:26.17. All three of those relay times were WC season-best times.

Shoemaker's school-record time of 2:12.34 in the 200 backstroke highlighted Washington's performance at the time trials. Morse swam a WC season-best 54.13 in the 100 freestyle, while Kraeer swam a 56.74 in the 100 freestyle to become Washington's 10th-fastest swimmer ever in that event. Simons swam a WC season-best time of 2:11.54 in the 200 butterfly. Jones swam a WC season-best time of 18:44.09 in the 1650 freestyle, while Siburt swam a time of 18:51.43 in the 1650 freestyle to become the school's ninth-fastest swimmer ever in that event.

WC Silver Medals
Ally Simons - 100 butterfly - 1:00.00

WC Bronze Medals
Megan Morse - 200 freestyle - 1:57.51
L. Shoemaker, Ludwig, Simons, Morse - 200 medley relay - 1:53.02