Tartans Finish Second at Kenyon Relays

(GAMBIER, Ohio) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's swimming and diving team took to the water for another relay meet, this time at Kenyon College on Saturday, October 16 against the host Ladies, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University and Wittenberg University. The Tartans finished second to Kenyon with 80 points to the Ladies 112.

The 200-yard medley relay earned points by placing third overall with a time of 1:50.88 to open the meet. Junior Bonnie Wang (Vancouver, BC / Collingwood School) swam the backstroke in 27.63 to lead off relay with freshman Jackie Ruhnke (Bridgewater, N.J. / Bridgewater-Raritan), junior Miya Higuchi (Glendale, Calif. / Crescenta Valley) and junior Mathea Myhrvold (Raleigh, N.C. / Wakefield) closing it out.

The 200-yard backstroke relay also placed third with Wang, freshman Krystal Xiao-Rao (San Francisco, Calif. / St. Ignatius College Preparatory), senior Emma Graham (Mount Lebanon, Pa. / Mount Lebanon) and Myhrvold finising in 1:50.05. Wang started even faster with a split time of 27.48 to lead things off.

The 200-yard breaststroke relay finished second with sophomore Maya McAuley (Novato, Calif. / Novato). Ruhnke, freshman Emma Kulbida (Broomfield, Colo. / Stargate Charter) and junior Reilly McManus (Ridgefield, Conn. / Rye Country Day) finishing the race in 2:06.52.

Another third-place finish for the Tartans came in the 200-yard butterfly relay. Senior Wendy Mo (Great Neck, N.Y. / Great Neck Southled it off with a time of 28.22 with Higuchi, Wang and freshman Carolann Kimock (Old Bridge, N.J. / Saint John Vianney) helping to finish with an overall time of 1:48.98.

The 3x500-yard freestyle relay was completed in 16:05.20 by senior Kierstyn Cassidy (Waynesville, Ohio / Waynesville), freshman Katie Rock (Edgewater, N.J. / Bergen County Technical) and freshman Reece Whatmore (Sarasota, Fla. / The Out-of-Door Academy). The time placed them second.

The 200-yard freestyle relay closed the day's action with the Tartans finishing fourth behind three teams from Kenyon. Junior Rachel Fuechtman (Hinsdale, Ill. / Hinsdale Central), Graham, Kimock and Myhrvold finished in 1:41.10 to record the top time for the season thus far.

The divers also competed on Saturday with sophomore Kelli Kuramoto (Los Altos, Calif. / Los Altos) finishing first on the 3-meter board wih 245.45 points after six dives but then second on the same board with 400.65 points after 11 dives. Freshman Kyndall Tatum (Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Arapahoe) was second after six dives with 221.15 points and topped Kuramoto after 11 dives with 402.95 points.

The Tartans will return to action on Saturday, October 30 in a dual meet at Case Western Reserve University.