ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE SWIMMING
Tuesday, February 5, 2002

Etown Women's Swimming Defeats Widener, 107-98, Casey Moore Meets NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time as Etown Men Fall to Widener, 92-59

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown's women's swimming team concluded its 2001 02 dual meet season with a 6-8-1 record by defeating Widener, which finished second at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship last year, 107-98 at home Tuesday night.

Although the Etown men's team lost to Widener 92-59 to wrap up the dual meet season 3-10, there was cause for celebration as sophomore Casey Moore (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) met the NCAA Division III Championship "B" provisional qualifying standard in the 200 yard freestyle.

Moore's time in the 200 freestyle was 1:43.03, which exceeded the provisional qualifying standard of 1:43.69. By meeting the provisional time, Moore does not automatically qualify to participate in the NCAA Championship, but he would be able to participate if there are more open spots for the event at the NCAAs than there are automatic "A" qualifiers and provisional "B" qualifiers who have posted faster times.

The automatic "A" qualifying standard in the 200 yard freestyle is 1:41.59, and Moore will have more chances to lower his time in this event and to qualify for others at the upcoming Middle Atlantic Conference Championship, to be held at Widener from February 15-17.

Moore won both the 200 freeestyle and the 100 freestyle, finishing the latter in 47.27 seconds, just 38 hundredths of a second shy of the "B" qualifying time in that event. Also winning an individual event for Etown was Scott English (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug), who captured the 50 freestyle in 22.84 seconds.

In the women's meet, Etown was down 91-78 to Widener entering the final two events. In the 200 yard breaststroke, Christina Blaha (Killingworth, CT/Haddam Killingworth), Cristen Cumor (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron), and Kathryn Fairman (Turbotville, PA/Warrior Run) swept first, second, and third places to tie the meet at 94-94 entering the final event, the 400 freestyle relay.

The 400 freestyle relay team of Stacey Benton (Duncansville, PA/Hollidaysburg), Holly Gish (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle), Kristen Kuc (Camp Hill, PA/Trinity), and Sarah Bradley (Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt. Pleasant) won the event in 3:49.00 and clinched the Blue Jay victory.

Kuc also won the 50 yard freestyle in 26.09 seconds, and Bradley won the 100 yard freestyle for Etown in 56.62 seconds.

The Widener men improve to 10-0 with the win, while the Widener women fall to 6-5 overall.

Elizabethtown will return to action at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship at Widener University February 15-17.

The NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championship is scheduled to be held March 13-16.