WORCESTER -- The Engineers of WPI's Women's Swimming and Diving team fell in a close battle to the Division II Southern Connecticut State University program. Playing hosts, WPI (2-5) came up short against the Owls 142-128, albeit with SCSU stopping scoring after the 100 fly.
 
That said, the Engineers put up several strong performances, and the score easily could have been closer. Things got off to a fast start in the 200-medley relay, where sophomore Sarah Kang (Richmond, VA) opened up in 29.27 to give her squad the lead. Teaming up with fellow sophomore Milena Whitney (Bedford, NH), senior Rachel Tsang (Acton, MA), and junior Katrina Waite (Falmouth, ME), the quartet finished in 1:54.69, just 0.05 off of first with Waite's anchor leg exactly tying that of Southern Connecticut. 
 
That was the last time that Kang finished worse than second in a race, as she claimed a trio of victories, sweeping the backstrokes and emerging victorious in the 100 fly. She started her run of wins in the 100 back, posting a mark of 1:00.96 to earn the maximum points. Relay teammate Tsang took 4th in the race at 1:03.29. In the 200 back, Tsang improved upon her 4th place finish, upgrading to the bronze as her 2:18.56, placed 3rd to Kang's winning time of 2:10.70. In Kang and Tsang's last individual event, the 100 fly, Kang posted the lone sub-1:00 time of the evening, going 59.25, with Tsang finishing 5th at 1:04.33, just .08 back of teammate Kate Creusere (Las Cruces, NM) who touched in 4th.
 
In terms of placing it was the New Mexican's lowest finish as she started the meet off finishing as the runner-up in the 200 free, as her 2:01.66 put her behind only her teammate Mallory LaPointe (Saint Johns, Florida) and her winning performance of 1:57.45. The pair were stuck together again in the 200 fly, with LaPointe's 2:15.08 taking the silver to Creusere's bronze medal-worthy time of 2:20.10. While Creusere's 3rd individual event was the 100 fly, LaPointe tackled the 100 free where her 55.79 took 2nd place. 
 
The pair came together and closed the meet out with a season-best time of 1:45.83 in the 200 free relay with Creusere swimming 2nd and LaPointe anchoring with the fastest split in the field of 24.80. Joining the pair were Sophie Robinson (Westborough, MA) and first-year Amber Jacobs (Cedar Falls, IA). Jacobs nearly equaled her season best time in the 1000, as she closed in a 30.33 to hit the wall in 11:10.00, closing what was nearly a four-second gap at the 950 to just a deficit of 1.28. In a familiar story this season, Jacobs was closely followed by teammate Allie Marvell (Nashua, NH), who took 3rd with her time of 11:16.04. The pair were WPI's top performers in the 500, finishing 4th and 5th respectively with times of 5:33.93 and 5:36.10. 
 
Joining LaPointe and Jacobs on the runner-up step of the podium was fellow first-year Audrey Cook (Wakefield, MA). Cook was the Engineers top finisher in the 100/200 breaststroke events as well as the 400 IM. In the 100, Cook opened up in a speedy 32.97 to led the field but was passed in the closing yards, finishing 2nd with a season best time of 1:10.92.  In the 200, again Cook earned 2nd place points as her 2:35.16, bettered her previous season best by nearly a half a second. In her final event, the 400 IM, Cook's back half proved to be the difference maker as she posted the fastest time among the Engineers going 5:07.67. 
 
WPI wraps up its dual meet schedule for the calendar year as they head to Williamstown, MA on Saturday, the 22nd, to swim against hosts Williams, as well as Trinity and Tufts. After Thanksgiving, WPI will host its mid-season meet, the Gompei Invitational, on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of December. 
 
Results