NAZARETH WINS RIT MEET
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Dec. 3, 2006) -- Nazareth's women's swimming and diving team held off Ithaca Sunday to capture the team title at the Don Richards Invitational hosted by RIT.

Nazareth finished with 1,166 team points to outdistance the runner-up Bombers (1,052). RIT was third with 646, followed by Alfred with 346.

In the men's meet, Alfred won the team title with 963 points. Ithaca was second with 888, followed by RIT with 853 and Nazareth with 507.

In Sunday's final session, Nazareth got first-place individual finishes from graduate student Amy Mehltretter (pictured above) in the 500 freestyle (5:22.89) and junior Emily Lesher (pictured below) in the 200 IM (2:09.42). In addition, junior Meghan Okoniewski was second in the 50 freestyle (:25.57).

Nazareth also won two relays by narrow margins -- both over Ithaca. The Golden Flyers took first in the 400 medley relay by less than one second with a winning time of 4:07.04. The team featured Lesher, Kate Kukan, Lauren McKinney and Mehltretter.

Nazareth also took the 400 free relay in similar fashion, posting a winning time of 3:41.50 to edge Ithaca by less than a second. Okoniewski, Mehltretter, Kaitlin Shearman and Lesher swam in that race.

In Saturday evening's session, Nazareth finished 1-2 in the 400 IM behind Lesher (4:30.07) and freshman Stephanie Carroll. Jennifer Dahm and Okoniewski went 2-3 in the 100 backstroke as did Shearman and Mehltretter in the 200 freestyle and Kukan and Jeanne Falco in the 100 breaststroke. McKinney finished third in the 100 butterfly.

In Saturday morning's session, Nazareth won the 800 free relay in 8:06.53 with the team of Okoniewski, Shearman (pictured right), Mehltretter and Lesher. Lesher also captured the 200 backstroke (2:08.24).

Okoniewski was second in the 100 freestyle (:55.95), while McKinney and Carroll went 2-3 in the 100 butterfly. Juniors Kukan and Caitlin Howlett also placed 2-3 in the 200 breaststroke.

On Friday, Nazareth's 200 medley relay team of Lesher, Kukan, McKinney and Okoniewski finished first in 1:53.38. The Golden Flyers edged Ithaca's foursome by less than half a second. Mehltretter also won the 1,650 freestyle in 18:29.98.

Nazareth also finished 2-3-4 in 1-meter diving with Hilary Ship placing second with 321.80 points, followed by Rebecca Kraft (303.00) and Lindsey Buzard (290.50).

Highlights for the men's team, included a third-place finish in the 50 freestyle for senior Tim Baker (:23.16), who also was part of the 200 free relay that finished fourth in 1:32.09. Other participants in that race were Jacques Tardie, Jon Campbell and Rob Wortel.

Sophomore Mike Fritz finished third in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, while Campbell finished fourth and fifth respectively in the same two events. Campbell also finished sixth in the 200 IM and was part of a fifth-place finish in the 400 medley relay along with R.C. Weston, Eric Lenhardt and Baker (pictured). Weston also finished fifth in the 100 backstroke.

Nazareth closes out its first-semester schedule Saturday at Hartwick at 1 p.m.