March 19, 2010

Grove City takes 5th in 800 relay

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Grove City College women's swimming and diving team highlighted the third night of competition at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships by shattering a school record en route to a fifth-place finish in the 800 free relay Friday night at the University of Minnesota.

Grove City's quartet of freshman Jenny Ryan (State College, Pa./State College), sophomore Jenna Richert (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley), freshman Angela Palumbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) and freshman Kaitlin Riesmeyer (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) earned fifth in the 800 relay with a time of 7 minutes, 30.03 seconds. That time breaks the previous school record by 13.50 seconds. By finishing fifth, all four swimmers earn All-America distinction. 

The fifth-place finish also merited 28 points in the team standings, which vaulted the Wolverines into 15th place overall. Grove City now has 56 points through the first three days of the four-day meet.

Riesmeyer became Grove City's first individual All-American this year earlier Friday night by taking 15th in the 200 butterfly. Riesmeyer posted a time of 2:05.59 in the consolation finals after recording a time of 2:05.38 in the preliminaries.

Palumbo, Riesmeyer and Ryan are all three-time NCAA Division III All-American. Richert earned her first career All-America honor. Juniors Lauren Baur (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) and Sarah Page (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek) have also earned All-America honors during this year's Championships.

Saturday's preliminaries begin at 11 a.m. Eastern.

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