WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Highlighted by several strong swims, the Lycoming College swimming teams got their seasons underway with the Virtual Middle Atlantic Conference Relays on Saturday morning, March 6.
 
The Lycoming women finished eighth in the field of 11 teams and the men took ninth.

"We had a great day," Lycoming head coach Andrew Dragunas said. "Our swimmers had fun and were excited to swim some races with the clock going. I there were many pleasant surprises and as a group they are doing many of the right things. We are in a really great place and are looking forward to the next weeks of training. We have the virtual pentathlon next week and I think we will see some more improvements there."
 
Lycoming had several noteworthy swims, including the women's 3 x 50-yard breaststroke relay, where sophomore Katherine Brown (Glenside, Pa./Abington), freshman Ruth Kauffman (Sunrise, Fla./Homeschooled) and junior Devon Kaiser (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) took sixth in 1:47.12. The women's 3 x 500-yard follow the leader relay of Kauffman, Brown and senior Cara Zortman (York, Pa./Suburban York) notched a strong time of 6:39.13 to take fifth.
 
The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Brown, freshman Sarah Loucks (Branchport, N.Y./Penn Yan), freshman Courtney Chapman (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and Zortman added a time of 1:56.28, with Zortman notching a 25.62 split as the anchor. Kaiser, Chapman and Zortman also notched a time of 1:32.26 in the 3x150-yard butterfly to take sixth.
 
On the men's side, the 200-yard freestyle relay of junior Jake Booth (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven), freshman C.J. Zortman (York, Pa./York Suburban), sophomore Matt Michenfelder (East Windsor, N.J./Hightstown) and freshman Brennan Warner (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) posted a time of 1:41.12 to take eighth.
 
The 3x50-yard backstroke relay of Booth, senior Brandon Vought (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) and Zortman finished fifth in 1:23.72 and the team's 50-100-150-200-yard freestyle relay of Zortman, sophomore Reilly Gluz (Syracuse, N.Y./Williston Northampton), Booth and Vought finished in 4:48.09 to take ninth. Warner, freshman Alex Sideris (Morris, Conn./Wamago Regional) and sophomore William Marcinkowski (Philadelphia, Pa./LaSalle College) took seventh in the 3 x 50-yard breaststroke relay, finishing in 1:40.66.
 
The team's 200-yard medley relay of C.J. Zortman, Brown, Vought and Cara Zortman also turned in a solid time of 1:54.59 to take sixth.
 
The Warriors will get have another virtual meet on Saturday, March 13, when they swim the MAC Pentathlon in Lamade Gym Natatorium.
 
Women's Relays
200-yard Medley Relay: 9th,2:09.08; 3x50 Fly: 6th, 1:32.26; 3x50 Back: 10th, 1:42.98; 3x50 Breast: 6th, 1:47.12; 50-100-150-200 Free: 9th, 5:33.18; 3x500 FTL: 5th, 6:39.13; 4x100 IM: 11th, 5:07.21; 200 Free: 9th, 1:56.28.
 
Men's Relays
200-yard Medley Relay: 10th, 1:52.38; 3x50 Fly: 9th, 1:21.65; 3x50 Back: 5th, 1:23.72; 3x50 Breast: 7th, 1:40.66; 50-100-150-200 Free: 9th, 4:48.09; 3x500 FTL: 7th, 6:41.36; 4x100 IM: 8th, 4:24.13; 200 Free: 8th, 1:41.12.
 
Mixed Relays
200 Medley: 6th, 1:54.59.