Lehighsports.com

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Day one is in the books at the 2006 Patriot League swimming and diving championships at Navy’s Lejeune Hall. After an up and down first day, that saw eleven events completed, the Lehigh men’s team sits in fifth place with 96.5 points, while the Mountain Hawk women are seventh with 60 points.

On the women’s side, Lehigh placed three swimmers in individual finals. Junior Betsy Balaguer earned 15 team points with a fourth place finish in the 500 yard free in a time of 5:04.94. Senior Linda Hendrixson took sixth in the 200 yard IM, finishing in 2:08.59. In the only diving event completed on Thursday, senior Laura Gray took sixth in the three meter with 211.15 points.

Senior Grant Flothmeier had the top men’s individual finish on day one, touching the wall in 1:54.54 to take fourth in the 200 IM. The Lehigh men also finished in the top half of both relay events contested on Thursday. The team of freshman Dan Johnson, sophomore Michael Hay, junior Tom Gilbert and senior Sean Herman took fourth in the 200 free relay, while Johnson, Gilbert, Flothmeier and sophomore Jonathan Kearney teamed up to finish third in the 400 medley relay.

Colgate is off to a fast start on the women’s side with the Raiders holding a two point lead over Bucknell at the end of day one. Host and defending champion Navy has raced to a 90 point lead on the men’s side.

The three-day long championships will continue Friday morning at 10:30 from Navy’s Lejeune Hall.

Women’s Team Standings                  

Men’s Team Standings