Wheaton among top 10 at Collegiate Championship for 18th straight year

March 25, 2006

PALO ALTO, CA- The Wheaton College synchronized swimming team finished ninth at the United States Collegiate Championships over the weekend at Stanford University's Avery Aquatic Center, marking the 18th consecutive season dating back to 1989 in which the Lyons finished among the top 10.

The Blue and White recorded 31 points, just two behind the eighth-place University of Florida. Stanford defended its crown with 96 points, pacing a 20-team field that was competing for collegiate national titles in the solo, duet, trio and team events. The championship is an open-class meet, combining competition for NCAA Divisions I, II and III, plus NAIA schools.

Junior Sarah Swinkin (Hamden, CT/Hamden) turned in Wheaton's best technical performance, finishing second out of 33 competitors in the C figures category with 67.209 points, just 0.256 behind the top swimmer from The College of William and Mary.

Wheaton had a pair of teams reach Saturday's finals, where both improved upon their semifinal performances. In the team category, Swinkin and junior Elizabeth Corman (Saint Paul, MN/Hill-Murray School), sophomores Megan Kinney (Los Angeles, CA/Marlborough School) and Esther Kovacs (Windham, NH/Academy of Notre Dame) and freshman Sylvia Syracuse (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore West) tied for eighth, matching Florida with 84.083 points. The Lyons finished two spots higher and recorded two more points than in the semifinals.

The trio of Corman, Kinney and Swinkin tied for 11th with another Florida team by recording 82.5 points. The Lyons had placed 12th with 80.333 points during the semifinals.

Wheaton also had a couple athletes narrowly miss qualifying for the finals of their respective events. Kovacs and Sylvia placed 14th in the duet semifinals, finishing just 0.667 points shy of the last finals qualifier, and Kovacs was 2.5 points short of matching the last athlete to earn a solo finals berth. Kovacs corralled All-Collegiate honors for her efforts this weekend.

In the B figures category, Kinney placed 14th out of 43 athletes with 69.128 points, as the third- through 14th-place finishers were separated by just 1.089 points. Junior Renata Paglio (Portland, ME/Deering) had Wheaton's top showing in the D figures, coming in 13th out of 49.

Next season, Wheaton won't have far to travel for the U.S. Collegiate Championship, as the Lyons will host the event at Balfour Natatorium after also entertaining teams from around the country in 1992 and 2002.

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