VIRGINIA BEACH, Va - The Gallaudet University women's swimming team won its first meet of the season as the Bison defeated Chowan University, 111-88, here Saturday on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University. GU split the double-dual meet as it lost, 192-52, to the host Marlins (4-1).

Gallaudet (1-8), with its eight swimmers, secured third place in enough events to lock their victory in. The first bronze finish of the meet was obtained by senior swimmer Jaelynn King (Springfield, Pa.) in the 1,000-yard freestyle as she posted a time of 16 minutes and 49.82 seconds, to shave almost a full minute off her best time.
 
Sophomore Tiadra Vang (Kansas City, Kan.) swam the next third-place finish in the 50-yard backstroke (59.39), followed closely by first-year teammate Melany Salcedo Benavides (Woodbridge, Va.) who swam the race in 1:00.84. 
 
Sophomore Mara Land (Dell Rapids, S.D.) nailed the bronze, as well, swimming the 50-yard freestyle in 32.49, besting their fellow Bison, first year Thea Wrenn (Anchorage, Alaska) by less than a second (32.86). Land also earned the team points for third in the 100-yard backstroke (1:23.69), with Wrenn once again on their heels as she finished fourth with a time of 1:24.51. 
 
Placing second runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke was first year Elizabeth Peterson (Snellville, Ga.) who completed the race in 2:07.02, while first year Alecia Miller (Litchfield, Ill.) swam the same place in the 500-yard freestyle in 9:46.84. 

Virginia Wesleyan (4-1) won 12 of the 14 events, while Chowan (0-5) won two.
 
BISON TRACKS

• First year Joy Watkins (Hockley, Texas) was sixth in the 50-yard breaststroke (1:21.11) and fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (9:59.42)
• The 200-yard medley relay team of Wrenn, Peterson, Land and Miller finished fourth with a time of 2:54.25
• The 200-yard freestyle relay team of King, Vang, Watkins, Salcedo Benavidas finished fourth (2:44.82)
• Wrenn was fourth in the 200-yard freestyle (2:45.07)
• Vang was fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (3:38.57) and the 50-yard butterfly (55.75)
• Peterson was fifth in the 50-yard breaststroke (56.62) and seventh in the 100-yard IM (1:57.07)
• King was fourth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:57.73) and the 50-yard butterfly (53.81)
• Miller was fifth in the 100-yard freestyle (1:37.26)
• Salcedo Benavides was sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (1:50.30)
• Land was sixth in the 100-yard IM (1:25.77)

UP NEXT
Bison swimming will honor its seniors in a home meet against Hollins University at the Field House pool, Saturday Dec. 7, at 1:00 p.m..