Loyola Maryland Women’s Swimming and Diving Defeats Lehigh 169.5-130.5 in Patriot League Opener
By Brian Hradsky
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Loyola University Maryland women’s swimming and diving team opened its Patriot League dual-meet schedule with an impressive 169.5-130.5 victory over Lehigh University on Saturday, October 10, at Jacobs Pool. The Greyhounds collected eight event victories and used their depth throughout the competition to secure a 39-point win over the Mountain Hawks. Loyola also swept the top three positions in the 200-yard individual medley, highlighting a balanced team performance.
The Greyhounds received individual swimming victories from Lauren Lane, Bryce Gold, Haley Robinson, Kellie Kincaid and Riley Fried, while Calista Fasser swept both diving competitions. Loyola also captured the 200-yard freestyle relay to close the afternoon, giving the Greyhounds an important early conference victory. Although both programs won eight events, Loyola’s ability to consistently place multiple swimmers among the top finishers proved decisive.
Fasser Dominates Diving Competition
Fasser delivered one of Loyola’s strongest individual performances by winning both diving events against the Mountain Hawks. She captured the one-meter competition with 256.88 points before adding a victory on the three-meter board with 258.45 points. Her two first-place finishes provided valuable points and helped Loyola establish an advantage in an otherwise competitive meet.
The Greyhounds also received contributions from Kate Mundorf and Kaleigh O’Brien in the diving events. O’Brien finished fourth in the one-meter competition with 220.80 points, while Mundorf placed fifth with 217.43 points. On the three-meter board, Mundorf finished third with 227.55 points, and O’Brien followed in fourth with 225.45 points.
Lehigh senior Kate Whitaker provided the Mountain Hawks’ strongest diving performances, finishing second in both events. Whitaker scored 237.60 points on the one-meter board and 235.28 points in the three-meter competition. However, Fasser’s victories and Loyola’s additional top-five finishes allowed the Greyhounds to collect important team points in both events.
Lane and Gold Lead Loyola in the Pool
Lane helped establish Loyola’s offensive equivalent in the pool by winning the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:56.95. Teammates Cecilia Van Lierop and Kincaid added third- and fourth-place finishes, recording times of 1:57.23 and 1:57.29, respectively. The Greyhounds’ ability to place three swimmers among the top four demonstrated the depth that ultimately separated the teams.
Gold added another individual victory in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:05.63. Riley McGerald tied for second place with a time of 1:06.91, giving Loyola two of the top three positions in the event. Hannah Oslislo also contributed a fifth-place finish in 1:08.63, adding to the Greyhounds’ overall performance.
Gold remained competitive in several other events throughout the afternoon, including a third-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:07.93. Lane placed second in that same event, finishing in 2:06.96, while Maeve Brandenburg took sixth. Those results demonstrated Loyola’s ability to produce consistent finishes across multiple strokes and distances.
Robinson and Kincaid Deliver Important Victories
Robinson continued Loyola’s winning performances by capturing the 50-yard freestyle in 23.62 seconds. Gianna Davis finished third in 24.52 seconds, while Donja Tripp followed in fourth with a time of 24.57. The Greyhounds again demonstrated their depth by placing three swimmers among the top four finishers.
Robinson also finished second in the 100-yard freestyle, recording a time of 52.90 seconds. Davis placed third in 53.80 seconds, while Gabby Jones finished fourth with a time of 54.42. Although Lehigh’s Genevieve Cody won the event in 51.86 seconds, Loyola collected valuable points through its second-, third- and fourth-place performances.
Kincaid provided another individual victory for Loyola in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing in 5:14.90. Ellie Davis placed fourth with a time of 5:22.28, while Elsie Bredbenner finished fifth in 5:26.29. The event further demonstrated the Greyhounds’ ability to compete effectively in both sprint and distance competitions.
Greyhounds Sweep 200-Yard Individual Medley
One of the afternoon’s defining moments came in the 200-yard individual medley, where Loyola captured all three podium positions. Fried won the event with a time of 2:10.38, narrowly defeating McGerald, who finished second in 2:10.43. Kincaid completed the sweep with a third-place performance of 2:11.35.
The difference between Fried and McGerald was just five-hundredths of a second, making the race one of the closest finishes of the competition. Loyola’s sweep demonstrated the team’s versatility across butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. The Greyhounds’ ability to control the top three positions in an event requiring proficiency in all four strokes was particularly impressive.
Fried also contributed a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:06.41. Julia Mason placed fourth in 2:11.18, while Olivia Sellers finished sixth in 2:17.87. Their performances added important points in an event won by Lehigh freshman Mary Hecmanczuk.
Loyola Closes Meet With Relay Victory
The Greyhounds finished the competition on a high note by winning the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of Christine Datovech, Tripp, Davis and Robinson combined for a first-place time of 1:36.27. Loyola’s second relay team, featuring Gold, Jones, Van Lierop and Abby Hays, finished second in 1:38.63.
The relay results provided another example of Loyola’s overall depth, with two Greyhounds teams claiming the top two positions. A third Loyola relay team featuring Carolyn Forgione, Madison Testa, Mason and Brandenburg finished fourth in 1:42.19. The strong conclusion reinforced Loyola’s team-wide performance and secured the conference-opening victory.
Earlier in the meet, Loyola finished second in the 400-yard medley relay behind Lehigh’s winning team. Brandenburg, Gold, Robinson and Davis recorded a time of 3:52.14, while Loyola’s second relay finished third in 3:57.06. The Greyhounds also placed fourth with their third relay team, demonstrating their ability to compete with multiple lineups.
Lehigh Provides Strong Competition
Despite the final margin, Lehigh produced several impressive performances and matched Loyola with eight event victories. Eliza Johnson led the Mountain Hawks with wins in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke, finishing in 57.49 seconds and 2:04.31, respectively. Her two victories highlighted Lehigh’s competitiveness in the backstroke events.
The Mountain Hawks also received victories from Emma Gyorkos in the 200-yard breaststroke and Hecmanczuk in the 200-yard butterfly. Clara Moschella captured the 100-yard butterfly, while Cody won the 100-yard freestyle. Claire Coughlin added a victory in the 1,000-yard freestyle, giving Lehigh several strong individual performances.
Lehigh also opened the meet with a victory in the 400-yard medley relay, recording a time of 3:51.86. However, the Mountain Hawks could not consistently match Loyola’s depth in the middle finishing positions. The Greyhounds’ ability to accumulate points through multiple swimmers in each event ultimately made the difference.
Loyola Builds Momentum Heading Into Lafayette Meet
The victory represented an important response for Loyola following a challenging Friday competition against Navy and LSU in Annapolis. The Greyhounds fell 212-88 against Navy and 247-53 against LSU before traveling to Bethlehem for Saturday’s Patriot League opener. The quick turnaround made the win against Lehigh particularly encouraging for the program.
Loyola will continue its road schedule Saturday, October 17, when the Greyhounds face Lafayette in Easton, Pennsylvania, at 1 p.m. The meet provides another opportunity to build conference momentum and evaluate the team’s development during the opening weeks of the season. Strong performances from both experienced swimmers and emerging contributors will remain important as Loyola prepares for its remaining dual meets.
The Greyhounds will also return to Baltimore for the Thomas Murphy Invitational beginning October 23 at the Mangione Aquatic Center. That competition will provide another opportunity to measure individual progress and develop relay combinations against additional opponents. Loyola will look to carry the confidence generated by its victory over Lehigh into those upcoming competitions.
MSB Take
Loyola’s victory over Lehigh demonstrated why depth is often more important than simply winning individual races in college swimming and diving. The Greyhounds and Mountain Hawks each captured eight events, but Loyola consistently placed multiple competitors among the top finishers. That ability to collect points throughout the lineup allowed Loyola to secure a convincing 39-point victory despite facing a competitive Lehigh team.
Fasser deserves significant recognition for sweeping the diving events, while Fried, McGerald and Kincaid provided one of the meet’s most impressive moments with their sweep of the 200-yard individual medley. Robinson also played an important role by winning the 50-yard freestyle and helping Loyola capture the final relay. Those performances demonstrated that the Greyhounds have several athletes capable of producing important results across different disciplines.
The most encouraging aspect of the victory was Loyola’s response after suffering difficult losses to Navy and LSU one day earlier. Instead of allowing those results to carry into another competition, the Greyhounds delivered a balanced performance against a conference opponent. If Loyola maintains that depth and continues developing its younger swimmers, the program should be well positioned to compete throughout the Patriot League dual-meet schedule.
