NAZARETH FINISHES 3RD AT STATE MEET
Lesher wins third event, breaks record in 200 backstroke
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Feb. 17, 2007) -- Junior Emily Lesher (pictured) won her third individual event Saturday, breaking her own association record in the 200-yad backstroke as the Golden Flyers placed third at the NYSWCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Nottingham High School.

Nazareth totaled 1,048 points to finish third in the three-day, 15-team event. Union won the meet with 1,203.50 points with Ithaca placing second with 1,095 points. Host LeMoyne finished fourth with 1,004 points.

The Empire 8 Conference meet also was scored during the three days of competition and Ithaca held off Nazareth to win its eighth consecutive team title. Ithaca had 842 team points in the E8 to outdistance Nazareth, which had 793. Lesher was selected NYSWCAA Swimmer of the Year as well as Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet. Nazareth's Martie Staser was named Empire 8 Coach of the Year.

Lesher, of Sherrill, N.Y. and an All-American in two events last year, posted a first-place time of 2:06.39 to win the 200 backstroke by more than a second. She broke her own meet and school records of 2:07.06 set last year. Lesher also won the 200 IM on Friday and the 400 IM on Saturday. She will compete at the NCAA Division III Championship meet March 8-10 at the University of Houston.

In other events Saturday, junior Kate Kukan placed third in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:29.50. Junior Caitlin Howlett also reached the finals, placing eighth in 2:36.13.

In the 200 butterfly, freshman Lauren McKinney finished sixth in 2:14.12. Nazareth narrowly missed setting a school record in the 400 freestyle relay by finishing fourth with a time of 3:37.92. Junior Meghan Okoniewski, freshmen Lauren Danis and Kaitlin Shearman and Lesher competed.

Nazareth also had place-winners in 3-meter diving with freshman Lindsey Buzard finishing fifth with a score of 358.10. Freshman Rebecca Kraft was seventh with a total of 325.25 and sophomore Hilary Ship finished ninth with a preliminary score of 307.15.