Oct. 14, 2005

• Potomac Relay Results

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Freshman Jennie Spencer (Smithburg, W.Va.) competed on two first-place relays as Navy outscored the field of eight schools in its women's swimming & diving season opener at the Potomac Relay Invite on Friday.

Navy's 84 points edged Boston College's 83 points, followed by George Mason (61 points), American (60 points), George Washington (39 points), Mary Washington (28 points), Georgetown (14 points) and Marymount (0 points).

"It was a good meet for us," said head coach John Morrison. "We continued to get stronger as the meet went on. I was real pleased with our performance in first meet of the season."

Spencer, in her first collegiate meet, served as a member of the meet-record 3x100-yard relay and 4x100-yard individual medley relay, in addition to the third-place 4x50-yard freestyle relay.

Sophomore Rachel Gray (Latrobe, Pa.), Spencer, freshman Kelly Zahalka (Richmond, Va.) and junior Aubra Thomas (Pittsburgh, Pa.) teamed up to break the previous meet record in the 3x100-yard relay with a time of 4:10.38. Sophomore Jamie Call (Valdez, Alaska), freshman Darby Driscoll (Pennington, N.J.) and Spencer combined for a first-place effort of 3:03.60 in the 3x100-yard backstroke relay.

Zahalka also participated in a pair of second-place relays in her first-ever meet as a Midshipman. The freshman swam the final leg of the 3x100-yard breaststroke (3:26.80) and 500-yard freestyle (4:44.09) relays. Also, Gray assisted in the 500-yard freestyle relay while helping Navy to a third-place finish in the 4x50-yard freestyle relay.

After a slow start, sophomore Dianna Dietrich (New Kensington, Pa.), freshmen Clare McKenna (Garden City, N.J.) and Cameron Wallace (Fredericksburg, Va.) guided Navy to second-place in the 3x100-yard butterfly relay.

After the Midshipmen captured the top-spot in the 3x100-yard backstroke relay, they claimed second-place in the 3x100-yard breaststroke. Comprising the relay were junior Hollace Mullikin (Ephraim, Wisc.), Thomas and Zahalka.

In the next relay, Navy once again placed second, this time in the 4x125-yard freestyle relay. Gray, freshman Mary Hesler (Charlotte, N.C.), sophomore Kristin Lowd (High Point, N.C.) and Zahalka made up the 4:44.09 relay.

Navy set the meet record in the 4x100-yard individual medley relay in the following event, then landed second in the 2x500-yard freestyle relay. Freshmen Sally Bakewell (St. John's, Fla.) and Erika Hubbard (Madison, Wisc.) combined for a 10:42 showing in the event.

The Midshipmen concluded the meet with a third-place effort in the 4x50-yard relay. Spencer, Hesler, senior captain Mandy Minikus (Raleigh, N.C.) and Gray together produced a time of 1:40.75.

Navy returns home to open its dual meet season against George Washington and Loyola (Md.) tomorrow at noon in Lejeune Hall.