Gophers Toy with Gators, Pick Up Fifth Win

Gophers Toy with Gators, Pick Up Fifth Win

Three First-Place Performances Individual Events for Sutherland

December 3, 2008

TOWSON, Md. – Goucher produced the winner, the runner-up and also the third-place performer in a pair of individual events on the way to a convincing 107-71 triumph over Notre Dame (Md.) this evening.

After taking first place in the 200-yard medley relay to begin the competition, the Gophers (5-2) were able to capture the top three spots in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Britt Hogstrom (Killington, Vt./Woodstock Union) touched first, completing the event in 11:50.54, and Victoria Adinolfi (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) and Judith Stern (Reisterstown, Md./Grier School) followed in second and third place, respectively, with times of 13:09.91 and 13:12.18.

Goucher's other 1-2-3 finish in an individual event took place in the 200-yard individual medley. Hogstrom was again involved, as this time she placed third (2:37.80). Finishing ahead of her were Sam Sutherland (North Reading, Mass./Austin Prep) in first place (2:26.93) and Mara Baron (Wayzata, Minn./Breck School) in second (2:37.16).

One hundredth of a second separated the Goucher swimmers who recorded the two fastest times in the 50 free. Bethany Natoli (Alexandria, Va./O'Connell) turned in a time of :27.86 to capture first place and Sandy Okun (Stevenson, Md./McDonogh School) was the runner-up (:27.87).

Natoli also placed first in the 100 butterfly (1:05.87) and 100 breast (1:24.27) and Sutherland had a second first-place performance in the 500 free (5:51.98). The only other contested event in which a Goucher swimmer took first place was the 100 free where Pilar Gimenez (Phoenix, Md./McDonogh School) posted a winning time of 1:04.95.

Goucher's victorious 200 medley relay was composed of Sutherland, Gimenez, Adinolfi and Rachel Leavitt-Baron (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Academy). That group finished in 2:13.92, nearly a full :20 ahead of Notre Dame's entry in the event.