PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Saint Peter's women's swimming team fell, 146–103, in its season opener against Duquesne at Towers Pool Saturday afternoon. The Peacocks had multiple podium finishes throughout the meet, highlighted by first-place finishes from
Eloise Schirtzinger, Paige Austin-Burrows, Elettra Dalcerri, and the 200-yard freestyle relay squad of Dalcerri,
Gwendolyn Mendez, Madison Petricevic, and Austin-Burrows.
HIGHLIGHTS
In her collegiate debut, freshman
Chris Carolin Weiss earned the Peacocks' first podium finish of the day, placing third in the 100-yard backstroke (1:02.99), just 1.04 seconds behind Duquesne senior Katie Simpson. Junior Lexi Sundgren finished first with a time of 59.70 seconds.
Francesca Solano Vargas (1:03.49) and
Michelle Kaminskas (1:11:71) also competed in the event for Saint Peter's.
Gwendolyn Mendez secured a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:09.35. Teammate Maddie Kinney finished just behind in 1:14.03, with Schirtzinger rounding out the event for Saint Peter's. Duquesne sophomore duo Jess Burns (1:07.16) and Surrena Luna (1:08.65) secured the top two spots.
It was a close finish with Austin-Burrows touching the wall less than a second behind (2:14.24) freshman Emily Kyre (2:13.32) in the 200-yard butterfly. Dukes sophomore Caitlin Horning rounded out the podium in 2:14.38.
Brianna Surichaqui (2:38.37) and Weiss (2:23.18) also competed in the event for the Peacocks.
Austin-Burrows saw another podium finish in the 100-yard freestyle, securing third overall in 55.89, with junior Julia Sobun (55.67) and Sundgren (53.95) taking the top two spots. Petricevic and junior
Niela Dawlett also competed in the event, touching the wall in 58.34 and 59.78.
In the 200-yard breaststroke, the Peacocks claimed two of the three top spots.
Gwendolyn Mendez (2:29.16) stayed within reach of Sydney Severini but couldn't quite catch the senior as she touched the wall in 2:24.16.
Hailey Zeszotarski closed out the top three in 2:58.34, with Kaminskas rounding out the event in 3:09.30.
Schirtzinger secured the first top finish of the meet for Saint Peter's in the 500-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 5:37.67. Teammate
Audrey Hill Franco finished second with a time of 6:17.34.
The Peacocks kept the momentum rolling, sweeping the top three spots in the 100-yard butterfly in Dalcerri (1:05.49), Solano Vargas (1:05.90), and Surichaqui (1:13.33), and the 200-yard IM with Austin-Burrows (2:17.46), Dalcerri (2:29.66), and Kaminskas (2:35.41).
Saint Peter's finished the meet competing in the 200-yard freestyle relay. SPU A–Dalcerri, Mendez, Petricevic, and Austin-Burrows–claimed first, finishing with a time of 1:44.31. SPU B–McKinney, Schirtzinger, Dawlett, and Weiss–took second in 1:46.97, and SPU C–Kaminskas, Solano Vargas, Surichaqui, and Franco–rounded out the top three, touching the wall in 1:58.68.
UP NEXT
The Saint Peter's swimming and diving teams return home for their season opener on Tuesday, November 11, at the Eugene and Teresa Imperatore Swimming and Diving Center inside The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center. First splash is set for 5:00 p.m.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
400-yard Medley Relay
SPU A- 3rd, 4:02.16
SPU B- 4th, 4:33.42
1,000-yard Freestyle
Eloise Schirtzinger- 4th, 11:20.0
Maddie McKinney- 5th, 11:25.94
Hailey Zeszotarski- 6th, 12:12.91
200-yard Freestyle
Gwendolyn Mendez- 4th, 2:04.22
Niela Dawlett- 5th, 2:14.23
Audrey Hill Franco- 6th, 2:10.16
50-yard Freestyle
Madison Petricevic- 4th 25.89
Elettra Dalcerri- 5th, 27.22
Leah Cunas- 6th 31.23
200-yard Backstroke
Francesca Solano Vargas- 4th, 2:15.46
Chris Carolin Weiss- 5th, 2:16.01
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