RESULTS

KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kutztown University women's swimming made its final home meet of 2021-22 a memorable one for its seniors, returning from a more than two-month long break from competition to win 13-of-14 events in a 125-93 Senior Day victory over Cedar Crest Saturday afternoon at Keystone Natatorium.

Gracie McKee (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) (100-yard back, 200 back, 100 fly) and Jade Ware (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area) (100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM) each won three individual events and made up half of KU's triumphant 200 freestyle relay team along with Ainsley Fischer (Newark, Del./Delaware Military Academy) and Jaylin Calistro (Temple, N.H./Contoocook Valley Regional).

Fischer captured the 50 and 200 free, while Keara Bedson (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) (1000 free), Calistro (200 fly) and Keelie Walker (York, Pa./York Suburban) (100 free) added single event victories. Kutztown (3-5 overall) also claimed the opening 200 medley relay behind the senior quartet of Emmarose DeCaro (Apex, N.C./Apex), Charlotte Owens (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg), Jocelyn Seidt (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) and Walker.

Saturday's meet was never in doubt as the Golden Bears won the first 10 events, before Cedar Crest's (1-9) Megan Fielder took the 500 free for the Falcons' only win of the day. Kutztown elected to forego team points with four events remaining and a comfortable 125-44 advantage.

Ware swam a season-best 1:12.18 in the 100 breast, leading teammates Walker and Owens in a 1-2-3 finish, and also turned in her fastest time of hte year in the 200 breast with a 2:39.07.

McKee once again bested PSAC qualifying standards in all three of her wins, taking the 100 back in 1:00.94, the 200 back in 2:11.95 and the 100 fly in 1:01.08.

Kutztown is ramping up for the PSAC Championships Feb. 16-19, in York, Pa., but Saturday marked its first meet since the Franklin & Marshall Invitational the weekend before Thanksgiving. Both meets the Golden Bears have been scheduled to compete in since the calendar flipped to 2022 were canceled as a results of COVID-19 concerns, meaning the Bears have few meets to get back to peak performance.

Prior to the meet, the team honored its senior class of DeCaro, Owens, Seidt and Walker. KU also welcomed back 2021 graduate Lindsay Brenneman (Dover, Pa./Dover) and recognized fellow 2021 grad Megan Hayward (Meshoppen, Pa./Tunkhannock), after their senior seasons were canceled as a result of the pandemic.

Kutztown concludes the regular season next Saturday at the ESU Invitational.