WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College swimming teams opened the season with a sweep of Messiah on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The men’s team earned a 128-71 win while the women’s team was victorious, 117-79.

“We didn’t really know what to expect coming into tonight,” said head coach Jerry Hammaker. “This was Messiah’s first dual meet and we didn’t really know how fast their swimmers were. I’m really proud of the way we swam tonight. Our seniors did what was expected and our freshmen swam with a lot of poise in their first collegiate meet.”

The men’s team earned wins in eight events, headlined by three double-winners.

John Dougherty (Mountain Top, Pa.) picked up a pair of wins in the 100-yard (52.60) and 200-yard (1:53.90) freestyle events. His time in both events is an automatic qualifier for the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships.

Freshman Myles Biggs (Easton, Pa.) picked up wins in the 500-yard (5:27.21) and 1,000-yard (11:36.68) freestyle events. His time in the 500 free qualifies him for the MAC meet.

Fellow freshman Joe Andrie (Reedsville, Pa.) was also a double-winner with two automatic MAC qualifying times, claiming the 200-yard IM (2:12.91) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.04).

Brian Fausel (Burdett, N.Y.) won the 100-yard butterfly with an automatic qualifier of 56.41 seconds.

Mark Fries (Waynesboro, Pa.) posted an automatic qualifier in the 100-yard backstroke, winning with a time of 59.81 seconds. Fries also posted an automatic qualifier in the 50-yard freestyle (23.11).

The women’s team picked up wins in nine events, including both relays.

The 200-yard medley relay team of Stephanie Conrad (Enola, Pa.), Kirsten Snyder (Reading, Pa.), Jessie Gallagher (Cheltenham, Pa.) and Nichole Zoller (Colonia, N.J.) opened the meet in dramatic fashion, winning the race in 1:59.69 to Messiah’s 1:59.85.

Margaret Emery (Burke, Va.) was the lone double-winner for the Lady Warriors. She earned wins in the 200-yard freestyle (2:08.64) and the 500 free (5:42.12). Both of those times are automatic MAC qualifiers.

Claire Zido (Pittsburgh, Pa.) posted a winning time of 12:14.25 in the 1,000-yard freestyle event.

Caroline LeHota (Bellefonte, Pa.) won the 50-yard freestyle in 26.52 seconds, an automatic qualifying mark.

Gallagher posted an automatic qualifier with a win in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing in 1:04.62.

Milvana Ban (Harrisburg, Pa.) also hit the automatic standard with a win in the 100-yard freestyle (59.95).

Conrad claimed the top spot in the 100-yard backstroke with an automatic qualifier of 1:07.72.

LeHota, Ban, Conrad and Zoller teamed up to close out the meet with a victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The foursome posted a time of 1:49.91.

Both teams will travel to Albright on Saturday, Nov. 1, for a 1 p.m. meet against the Lions.

A complete list of Lycoming’s MAC qualifiers from the season opener is posted below.

MAC Qualifiers

Men - Automatic

200 Free               John Dougherty – 1:53.90

50 Free                 Mark Fries – 23.11

                            Nick John (Mifflinburg, Pa.) – 24.25

200 IM                  Joe Andrie – 2:12.91

                            Dave Zablocki (Joppa, Md.) – 2:15.65

100 Fly                 Brian Fausel – 56.41

                            Chad Lemmons (Boiling Springs, Pa.) – 57.10

                            Brandon Good (Clearfield, Pa.) – 1:00.85

100 Free               John Dougherty – 52.60

                            Derek Lupia (Reading, Pa.) – 53.75

100 Back              Mark Fries – 59.81

                            Sean Berrier (Hughesville, Pa.) – 1:04.64

                            Trevor Silbernagel (Jefferson Twp., Pa.) – 1:04.66

500 Free               Myles Biggs – 5:27.21

                            Dave Zablocki – 5:28.66

100 Breast            Joe Andrie – 1:05.04

                            Myles Biggs – 1:09.28

                            Mike Tonart (Dallas, Pa.) – 1:12.80

Men – Provisional

200 Free               Chad Lemmons – 2:01.69

50 Free                 Brandon Good – 24.70

200 IM                  Sean Berrier – 2:19.13

500 Free               Joe Kuder (Moorestown, N.J.) – 5:31.91

Women – Automatic

200 Free              Meg Emery – 2:08.64

                           Milvana Ban – 2:11.96

50 Free                Caroline LeHota – 26.52

                           Nichole Zoller – 26.95

                           Danielle Mulvey (Pasadena, Md.) – 27.42

200 IM                 Claire Zido – 2:22.99

                           Kirsten Snyder – 2:30.45

100 Fly                Jessie Gallagher – 1:04.62

                           Amy Bentz (Elizabethtown, Pa.) – 1:11.06

100 Free              Milvana Ban – 59.95

                           Melody Johnson (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) – 1:00.93

100 Back             Stephanie Conrad – 1:07.72

                           Caroline LeHota – 1:09.27

500 Free              Meg Emery – 5:42.12

                           Claire Zido – 5:50.27

100 Breast           Kirsten Snyder – 1:16.18

Women – Provisional

500 Free              Lindsay Stern (Lawrenceville, N.J.) – 5:57.32

100 Breast           Michelle Pastrano (Claremont, Calif.) – 1:20.26

                           Kate Williamson (Audubon, Pa.) – 1:20.72