COMPLETE RESULTS

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University women's swimming team opened the 2016-17 regular season with a 181-81 loss to visiting West Chester University at the Nelson Field House Pool on Saturday afternoon.

Junior Sarah Ritter (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) won a pair of races on Saturday, touching the wall first in both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard breaststroke. Sophomore Sydney Mercer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Millville) was also a first-place finisher on Saturday in the 200-yard backstroke. Ritter finished the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:07.87 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:25.41 - both PSAC qualifying times. Mercer, meanwhile, had a 2:07.66 time in the 200-yard backstroke to also finish under the PSAC standard. It was the second-best time in the PSAC this season.

All told, the Huskies made 35 PSAC cuts on Saturday afternoon.

"From top to bottom, our women swam lights-out, even if the score didn't show it," said head coach Stu Marvin. "We are way ahead of where we are normally at this time of the season. I am so proud and happy for these young women."

Freshman Rebecca Cubbler (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford), swimming in her first collegiate meet, had a strong showing on Saturday with a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, a third-place result in the 100-yard freestyle, and a sixth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle - all with PSAC qualifying times. She was also the first leg of the second-place 400-yard freestyle relay team.

"Our freshmen were outstanding in their first meet of the season," added Marvin. "They handled the pressure very well and showed the PSAC that they are a force to be reckoned with."

Junior Karly Hursey (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) and senior Brooke Gilson (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) finished second and fourth respectively in the 1000-yard freestyle with both posting PSAC qualifying times. Hursey finished in 10:43.40 - well under the PSAC standard - and just over three seconds behind West Chester's Georgia Wright. Hursey's time was also the second-best time in the PSAC this season. Gilson was also well under the PSAC standard after touching the wall in 10:45.46.

The Huskies had three more PSAC qualifying times in the 200-yard freestyle as Cubbler posted a Bloomsburg-best time of 1:56.94 to finish second in the race. Freshman Kaitlyn Floyd (Mertztown, Pa./Kutztown Area) finished fifth with a time of 1:59.10 while junior Kate Cossitor (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) was eighth but also qualified for PSACs with a 2:00.39 result. The time for Cossitor was a new personal best.

In the 100-yard backstroke, Mercer touched the wall in second place with a time of 1:00.23. Freshman Kiera Wadsworth (Folsom, Pa./Ridley) was fifth in a time of 1:01.77 while junior Megan Carey (Waymart, Pa./Holy Cross) (1:02.26) and freshman Deanna Shuster (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) (1:02.30) also posted PSAC qualifying times.

Redshirt junior Courtney Middleton (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) had a strong showing in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:13.32 and a second-place finish in the event. Senior Colleen Finias (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) also qualified for PSACs with a time of 2:16.83.

In the 50-yard freestyle, redshirt sophomore Mary Kate Boylan (Edgemont, Pa./Penncrest) was the Huskies' top finisher after touching the wall in third place with a time of 25.23. Cossitor and freshman Shannon Ball (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff) also posted PSAC qualifying times.

Cubbler (54.26), Floyd (54.81), Boylan (55.10) posted three of the top ten times in the PSAC this season in the 100-yard freestyle. Ball also hit the PSAC standard with a time of 56.17. More of the same occurred in the 200-yard backstroke where four of the top seven times in the PSAC this season were by Huskies' swimmers (Mercer, Wadsworth, Carey, and Shuster).

In the 200-yard breaststroke, Ritter's time of 2:25.41 won the race and was the third-best time in the PSAC this season. Middleton's time of 59.95 in the 100-yard butterfly was the second-fastest time in the PSAC this year.

"There were so many tremendous efforts for us today, I could go on and on," added Marvin. "It was a great day for us."

The Huskies will return to the pool on Friday, November 4 when they travel to Gannon University. Start time is set for 6:00 p.m. from Erie, Pennsylvania.