WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Gallaudet University women's swimming team lost their season opener in a non-conference meet to Frostburg State University on Saturday at the Field House pool as the visiting Bobcats won eight of 11 events to down the Bison, 109-86.

Reigning NEAC Swimmer of the Year, sophomore Alexandra Polivanchuk (Oreboro, Sweden), led the Bison with wins in the 50-yard freestyle, 100 backstroke and the 100 breaststroke. Polivanchuk set a new school record in the 100 breaststroke event with a time of 1:12.55 to best former Bison swimmer Silvia Herdicka's time of 1:16.48 set in 2005. She also broke the 50-yard breaststroke record in the same race with a split time of 34.19 to erase an old Carlisle Robinson record set in 2007. Newcomer Brianna Stroud-Williams (Denver, Colo.) placed second in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 14:09.63 to earn the first points of her Bison swimming career while junior Emily Harrison (Brewster, Mass.) beat her best time from last year in the same race when she clocked in at 15:38.21. Also improving on her best time from last year was senior Brittany Turner (Palmdale, Calif.) who finished the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:30.21.

The Bison received contributions from several other new swimmers including Stroud-Williams, Paige Foreman (Albequerque, N.M.), Liv Polzin (Frederick, Md.), Marla Rabenstein (Altoona, Pa.) and Samantha Bourgeois (Toronto, Ontario) who all scored points in their first NCAA competition.

The team will next travel to Roanoke, Va., on Saturday, Oct. 27, to participate in a non-conference double dual meet against Greensboro College and Hollins University.