WASHINGTON, D.C. – Freshman
Alexandra Polivanchuk (Orebro, Sweden) had quite
the debut for the Gallaudet University women's swimming team
on Saturday as she won three events as the Bison lost a close dual
meet with Hood College, 104-99. This was the final home meet of the
regular-season for the Bison and marked the last time seniors
Jessica Buckwalter (Palmyra, Mo.), Kinna
Franklin and Emily Stemper (Harrisonburg,
Va.) swam for the buff and blue at the Field House Pool.
“Emily, Kinna and Jessica all swam well and did the
University proud with their performances today and during their
careers here as Bison,” said Gallaudet swimming head coach
Bill Snape.
While the meet marked Senior Day for the Bison trio it was a
freshman that took center stage with three wins. Polivanchuk set a
new school record in the 100-yard IM when she won the event in
1:04.69. Her time eclipsed the time set by Carlisle Robinson
(1:05.75) set in 2008. This is the first new school record for the
women's swimming program in two seasons. Polivanchuk also won
the 100 butterfly (1:04.63) and the 100 backstroke (1:07.01)
events.
Stemper was apart of the first-place 200 freestyle relay team that
won in 1:59.28. The senior was joined by junior Brittany
Turner (Palmdale, Calif.) and sophomores Alyssa
Gleason (Springfield, Va.) and Emily
Harrison (Brewster, Mass.). Stemper placed third in the
500 freestyle (7:41.91) and was fourth in the 200 freestyle
(2:51.47). Franklin swam on the second-place 200 freestyle relay
team on Saturday while Buckwalter placed fifth in the 100
backstroke (1:54.04).
GU won five of the 11 events as the Bison led off with a
first-place finish in the 200 medley relay (2:15.74) which included
Gleason, sophomore Valerie Farr (Fremont, Calif.),
junior Tong Song (Beijing, China) and freshman
Tandy Lewis (Frederick, Md.).
Lewis placed second in the 50 freestyle (29.10 seconds) and
third in the 100 freestyle (1:07.46) while Song recorded two
third-place finishes in the 200 freestyle (2:32.97) and 100
breaststroke (1:22.79).
Gallaudet's women's swim team will travel to
Baltimore on Wednesday to swim against College of Notre Dame (Md.)
in another non-conference dual meet set to start at 6 p.m.
