February 22, 2009
Shorewomen are Golden at Centennial Champs
WC Hauls in Meet-Best Seven Gold Medals, Shatters Records
Glasser Named Meet's Oustanding Performer

LANCASTER, PA - The Washington College women's swim team had an outstanding weekend at the Centennial Conference Championships, hosted by Franklin & Marshall. The Shorewomen, who finished fourth overall, took home seven gold medals, the most of any team. When the meet was over, nine new Washington College school records were on the books and the Shorewomen had broken a pair of Centennial Conference records. Sophomore Rachel Glasser (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer after winning three individual gold medals, breaking three individual school records, and qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championships.

Junior Kathy Gerhart (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville Area) won two individual gold medals and one individual bronze while breaking three school records and one conference record. Glasser and Gerhart also swam on two gold-medal, one silver-medal, and one bronze-medal relays, all of which broke school records and one of which established a new conference record.

Day One
During Friday night's finals, the Shorewomen racked up three gold medals and a silver. Gerhart broke the school record in the 50 freestyle for the second time that day and also took down the 13-year old conference record, winning gold in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 24.03. The previous conference record of 24.18 was set by Gettysburg's Megan Lewis in 1996.

Glasser won gold in the 500 freestyle in a school-record and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 5:01.67. Senior Kimber Shoemaker (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga), freshman Jenna Moore (Catonsville, MD/Mount de Sales Academy), Glasser, and Gerhart won gold in the 400 medley relay in a school-record time of 3:59.91. Shoemaker led off the relay with a 1:02.60 backstroke leg to become the Shorewomen's fourth-fastest swimmer ever in the 100 backstroke.

Gerhart, Moore, freshman Laura Risell (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley), and Glasser won the Shorewomen's first medal of the weekend by taking silver in the 200 freestyle relay in a school-record time of 1:38.55. Moore added a fifth-place finish in the 50 freestyle in 24.81, while freshman Kelly Dunbar (Williamsburg, VA/Lafayette) was eighth in the 200 individual medley in 2:19.58.

Glasser wasted no time in posting a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Championships, swimming a 5:03.42 in the preliminaries of the 500 freestyle. Two events later in the preliminaries, Gerhart broke the school record in the 50 freestyle for the first time by swimming an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 24.27.

Day Two
Saturday night's finals started off with another school and conference record for the Shorewomen as Shoemaker, Moore, Glasser, and Gerhart took gold in the 200 medley relay in 1:49.64. Washington then won two medals in the 100 butterfly as Glasser took gold in a school-record, meet-record and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 57.42 and Gerhart won bronze in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 58.17. Glasser broke her own school record and meet record in the event, having previously swam a school-record, meet-record, d and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 57.56 in the preliminaries earlier in the day. Gerhart swam an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 58.05 in the preliminaries of the 100 butterfly to tie the old school record.

Moore won bronze in the 100 breaststroke in a WC season-best time of 1:08.87 to become the Shorewomen's third-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Dunbar finished fifth in the 400 individual medley in 4:52.08 after swimming a WC season-best 4:49.95 in the preliminaries to become the Shorewomen's sixth-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Shoemaker placed sixth in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.86 after swimming a WC season-best and personal-best time of 1:02.21 in the preliminaries. Junior Cailin Eisele (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Egg Harbor Township) placed eighth in the 100 butterfly in 1:02.10.

Risell finished 10th in the 100 backstroke in 1:04.35, while Shoemaker was 11th in the 400 individual medley in 5:03.65. Freshman Morgan Phillips (Charlottesville, VA/Albemarle) placed 13th in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.22. Freshman Mary Stroman (Bala Cynwyd, PA/Friends Central) finished 16th in the 200 freestyle in 2:02.91, while senior Rebecca Lee (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield) was 16th in the 100 butterfly in 1:05.39. In the 800 freestyle relay, Dunbar, Phillips, freshman Ellen Liebenow (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge), and Stroman were seventh in 8:40.40.

Day Three
Glasser's third gold-medal performance was her most impressive as she swam a school- and meet-record 2:03.12 to win the 200 butterfly. Earlier in the day, she swam a 2:04.10 in the preliminaries of the event to break the school record and meet record for the first time. Both of her times were NCAA automatic qualifying times, guaranteeing Glasser a spot at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Gerhart picked up her second individual gold medal of the weekend by swimming a school- and meet-record 52.70 to win the 100 freestyle. Gerhart, Moore, Stroman, and Glasser won bronze in the 400 freestyle relay in a school-record time of 3:37.51. Shoemaker finished sixth in the 200 backstroke in a WC season-best time of 2:13.59 to become the Shorewomen's sixth-fastest swimmer ever in the event.

Eisele finished 10th in the 200 butterfly in 2:20.27. Moore was 13th in the 200 breaststroke in 2:38.23. Phillips finished 15th in the 200 backstroke in 2:23.47, while senior Cara Choplin (West Deptford, NJ/Bishop Eustace) was 15th in the 200 butterfly in 2:27.64. . Stroman took 16th in the 100 freestyle in 57.10, while Dunbar was 16th in the 200 breaststroke in 2:44.34.

Glasser will compete at the NCAA Division III Championships at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN, March 18-21. Gerhart will await word on whether any of her provisional qualifying times will qualify her to join her teammate at the national championship meet.

WC Gold Medals (All-Centennial Conference)
Kathy Gerhart - 50 freestyle - 24.03 (SR, CR)
Rachel Glasser - 500 freestyle - 5:01.67 (SR)
Rachel Glasser - 100 butterfly - 57.42 (SR)
Rachel Glasser - 200 butterfly - 2:03.12 (SR)
Kathy Gerhart - 100 freestyle - 52.70 (SR)
Shoemaker, Moore, Glasser, Gerhart - 200 medley relay - 1:49.64 (SR, CR)
Shoemaker, Moore, Glasser, Gerhart - 400 medley relay - 3:59.91 (SR)

WC Silver Medals (All-Centennial Conference Honorable Mention)
Gerhart, Moore, Risell, Glasser - 200 freestyle relay - 1:38.55 (SR)

WC Bronze Medals
Kathy Gerhart - 100 butterfly - 58.17
Jenna Moore - 100 breaststroke - 1:08.87
Gerhart, Moore, Stroman, Glasser - 400 freestyle relay - 3:37.51 (SR)

Shorewomen's gold-medal winning 200 and 400 medley relay team:
(left to right) Kathy Gerhart, Jenna Moore, Kimber Shoemaker, Rachel Glasser