PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Four more school records fell as the William Paterson women's swimming and diving team completed the second day of competition at the Metropolitan Championships Feb. 21. After 26 events, the Pioneers are second of 13 Division III teams with 442.5 points.
Senior
Grace McKay (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn), freshman
Brett Kuchin (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East), freshman
Lesly Mendoza (Passaic, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and senior
Cathy Hartwell (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) finished fifth in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:50.69, bettering the previous William Paterson record of 1:51.58 set by Jenn Cook, Traci Matus, Laurie Gazdalski and Kristine Sinram during the 1994-95 season.
McKay established a new best time in the 100 fly, finishing third in the preliminaries with a NCAA Championship B qualifying standard time of 58.39. The previous record was established by Gazdalski during the 1994-95 season (58.47). McKay later finished fifth in the A Final with a time of 58.71. McKay added a NCAA B qualifying time of 57.92 to win the 100 back prelims, and later placed second in the A Final with a time of 58.89.
Junior
Caitlin Rotondo (Brick, N.J./Methacton) twice set a new standard in the 100 breast, posting times of 1:09.65 in the prelims and 1:08.52 to place sixth in the A Final. She bettered the time of her teammate Kuchin, who swam a 1:09.71 against Montclair State Feb. 7. During the first 50 of her evening-session 100 breast, she broke Kuchin's record of 32.44 with a time of 31.84.
In the 400 IM, sophomore
Kirsten Shea (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Twp.) was eighth in the B Final (5:00.26) and classmate
Lauren Horowitz (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) placed fourth in the C Final (5:08.82). In the 100 fly, Mendoza won the C Final (1:02.84) and freshman
Stephanie Smith (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) placed fifth (1:05.01). Hartwell finished second in the 200 free B Final (1:58.17), while freshman
Rebecca Vinch (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) was fifth in the 200 free C Final (2:04.95).
Kuchin touched fourth in the 100 breast B Final (1:10.78), and the 800 free relay team of Horowitz, Vinch, Mendoza and Rotondo was seventh in a time of 8:23.16.
The Pioneers will compete in the third and final day of the Metropolitan Championships on Sunday, Feb. 22.
