CMS Women's Swimming and Diving Falls to No. 7 WashU, No. 11 Chicago in Tri-Meet

CHICAGO, Ill. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's swimming and diving team traveled to Chicago to compete in a tri-meet with two of the top teams in Division III and fell on the short end against No. 7 Washington University (Saint Louis) and No. 11 Chicago on Saturday afternoon.

The Athenas were right there with the seventh-ranked Bears, but dropped a 159-139 decision, while Chicago captured a 180.5-119.5 win over CMS in the other half of the team scoring. 

Sophomore Mia Syme took home a convincing individual first-place finish in the 1000 free, winning in 10:41.47, a six-second spread over the competition, and then won by just over two seconds (2.01) in the 500 free with a 5:15.84.

Freshman Augusta Lewis took first in the 200 breast with a 2:25.82, over a full second in front of Stephanie Li of WashU with a 2:26.91, and then came in first place in the 400 IM with a 4:34.60, winning a tight battle to the wall against freshman Alice Ye of Chicago, edging her by just .34 for her second win of the day. 

Sophomore Natalia Orbach-Mandel took first in the 100 free by nearly a full second, finishing in 53.19, well ahead of Elle Pollitt of WashU in second with 54.10. Orbach-Mandel was also third in the 50 free with a 24.69, .09 behind Seidner in second place and .45 behind Grace Carey of WashU in first. 

Sophomore Allie Umemoto was third in the 200 free in 1:57.02, just .69 off the pace of Mollie Seidner of WashU in first. Freshman Ava Sealander was third in the 100 fly with a 58.27.

The Athenas capped off the meet with a second-place finish in the 200 free relay, as Umemoto, freshman Laurel Krovetz, senior Emma Stacy and Orbach-Mandel finished in 1:39.59. 

CMS will be back in action next weekend when it takes on Chapman at 10 a.m. at Axelrood Pool in its home opener.