RECORDS FALL AS NAZARETH TOPS FREDONIA, PENN STATE BEHREND
NAZARETH 148, FREDONIA 88 | NAZARETH 128, PENN STATE BEHREND 71

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Nov. 22, 2004) -- An eraser could become a required accompaniment at Nazareth women's swim meets this winter. The Golden Flyers shattered seven more school records over the weekend as they defeated Fredonia and Penn State Behrend Saturday and Sunday respectively to run their record to 7-0. Nazareth defeated Fredonia, 148-88, and Penn State Behrend, 128-71.

At the forefront of the low times was freshman Emily Lesher (pictured), who qualified for the NCAA Division III championships in the 400 IM as she broke the school record by nearly 15 seconds with a time of 5:07.46 against Fredonia. Lesher also competed in the 200-meter medley relay that posted a time of 2:07.69, breaking by nearly three seconds a pool record that had stood since 1983. Joining Lesher in that event were Jen Meldrum, Aubrey Kirchoff and Meghan Okoniewski.

Sophomore Amy Mehltretter broke the record in the 800-meter freestyle with a winning time of 9:37.49 and Kirchoff broke a 15-year-old record in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:19.22.

Other winners against Fredonia included Okoniewski (pictured at left) in the 50 freestyle (:29.17); Kirchoff in the 100 butterfly (1:06.57); Lesher in the 100 backstroke (1:08.30); Mehltretter in the 400 freestyle (4:44.70); and Lauren Fuqua in 3-meter diving (188.47). Nazareth also captured the 200-meter freestyle relay (1:58.15) behind the foursome of Lindsay Slocum, Elizabeth Walsh, Mehltretter, and Okoniewski.

In Sunday's win over Penn State Behrend, Lesher broke the school record in the 200 butterfly that had stood for 22 years. Her time of 2:27.76 was nearly five seconds better than that of Nazareth Hall of Famer Donna Johnson from 1982. Kirchoff set the school record in the 200 IM (2:32.19), then Lesher and Kirchoff were joined by Okoniewski and Mehltretter to break the record in the 400-meter free relay with a time of 4:14.00.

Other winners were Fuqua in both diving events; Mehltretter in the 200 freestyle (2:17.78); Lesher in the 50 freestyle (:28.59); Walsh in the 100 freestyle (1:05.98); Okoniewski in the 200 backstroke (2:39.89); and Meldrum in the 200 breaststroke (2:57.60). Nazareth also won the 400 medley relay with the team of Jennifer Dahm, Kate Kukan, Sarah DuFour, and Okoniewski.