Evans Sets Record in Season Opener

Oct. 27 – (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – A tremendous outing by freshman Molly Evans (Butler, Pa.) started the women's swimming & diving team of Carnegie Mellon University on the right path during their season opening meet against Clarion University during Homecoming weekend. Clarion won the meet 180-120.

Evans started her Tartan career with three wins, two NCAA "B" cuts and a school record. The 200-yard backstroke was the setting for her school record and "B" cut time of 2:05.71, passing Emily Tong's record of 2:12.75 set at the University Athletic Association meet in 2005. Evans also won the 200-yard freestyle with a "B" cut time of 1:54.96. Her third win came in the 200-yard IM as she touched the wall in 2:11.92, just .52 seconds off the team's top time in the event over the last five years.

Junior Rebecca Martz (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) swept the distance freestyle events with victories in the 500 and 1,000-yard freestyles. Her time of 11:09.83 in the 1,000-yard event was a career-best.

Senior co-captain Anna Kochalko (Encinitas, Calif./Univ. of San Diego HS) led the sweep of the 200-yard buttefly with a time of 2:14.78. Freshmen Rebecca Ussai (Cleveland, Ohio/Beaumont) and Noelle Helmstetter (Clinton Twp., N.J./The Peddie School) followed. Senior Lauren Connell (Hasbrouck Hts., N.J.) earned second place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle (25.03) and 100-yard freestyle (55.24).

In diving, junior Charlotte Jennings (Yardley, Pa./Notre Dame) finished second in the 1-meter event while sophomore Alex DeFazio (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) finished fourth.

The 200-yard medley relay team started the meet with a great race, finishing one second off the team's conference finish from a year ago. Evans, sophomore Sara Andrews (Washington, Pa./Trinity), Ussai, and Connell finished the event in 1:52.78.

The team will be in action again on November 10 when they travel to Grove City College.