Lehigh visits Bucknell for final Patriot League dual meet
Posted: 01/21/2011
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh swimming and diving teams will have their final look at Patriot League opposition before next month’s league championships on Saturday as the Mountain Hawks head to Lewisburg to face the Bucknell Bison. Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium will be the site of the league championships February 17-19 so Lehigh will have an opportunity to test itself in the championship pool.
Last weekend Lehigh split a dual meet with Army as the women prevailed 158-142 while the men suffered their first dual loss of the season by a 194-106 score.
The Mountain Hawk women used a balanced team effort, winning six events and adding a number of second-third finishes as they moved to 4-3 on the season. Juniors Priscilla Barletta and Alena Pollitt won the 200 free and 100 back respectively, while freshman Meredith Bayer won two individual events, the 200 fly and the 400 IM. Sophomore Danielle Caruso rounded out the group of individual event winners for the Lehigh women.
Lehigh will put its 3-0 record against league opponents on the line against a Bucknell team that has consistently ranked among the Patriot League’s best. The Bison finished second at last year’s Patriot League Championships.
The men will look to bounce back from their first dual loss of the season, but will also look to build on last year’s win over the Bison on Senior Day at Jacobs Pool, which was the first for Lehigh over Bucknell in men’s swimming since 2006.
Lehigh’s men won five events against Army in a meet in which many of the races were not decided until the very end. Junior Chris Toth and sophomore Tyler Lareau each won two events while junior Kevin Shoemaker took top honors in the 200 fly. The Mountain Hawks are 3-1 against Patriot League opponents this season and 8-1 overall.
Bucknell’s women enter the weekend at 6-3 overall and 3-2 against Patriot League opponents. The Bison women went 1-1 last weekend, defeating Army on Saturday before falling to Columbia. On the men’s side, Bucknell is 5-4 overall and 3-2 in league meets. The Bison have lost three straight after a 5-1 start to the season.
Saturday’s meet gets underway at 1 p.m. from Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa.