Geyer Wins National Title in 200 Breaststroke as Stevens Women's Swimming Takes Fifth at NCAA's
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 24, 2012) – Freshman Brittany Geyer (Brunswick, Ohio) became the second National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Champion in Stevens Institute of Technology history, winning the 200-yard breaststroke at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships Saturday evening. As a team the Ducks placed fifth overall, the best finish in program history.
Geyer won the 200-breaststroke with a school-record time of 2:15.55. She earned 20 team points in what was a fantastic race as the Stevens freshman bested senior Caitlin Lehberger (New Wilmington, Pa.) by .01. At the 2011 NCAA’s, Laura Barito ’11 became the first-ever National Champion after placing first in the 50-yard freestyle.
As a team, the Ducks finished with 195 points which was 11 points better than the previous program-high from a season ago. The fifth-place finish is also one spot better than last year. Over the last four seasons Stevens has placed fifth (2012), sixth (2011), 12th (2010) and 11th (2009).
Emory University won the title with Williams College coming in second. Denison University was third and Kenyon College was fourth. After Stevens, it was Johns Hopkins University (sixth), The College of New Jersey (seventh) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (eighth).
Day 4 Preliminaries
Day 4 opened with the 100-yard freestyle prelims, and senior Hayley Hatfield (Dallas, Texas) placed 20th with a time of 52.03. Geyer was first in the 200-breast prelims with a 2:17.51, while the 400-yard freestyle relay team finished 11th, as senior Sian Pearson (Foothill Ranch, Calif.), freshman Nicole Miller (Peoria, Ill.), Hatfield and sophomore Louise Moores (Mukilteo, Wash.) turned in a time of 3:29.75.
Day 4 Finals
Geyer was the only individual in action in the Day 4 finals, and she made the most of it to say the least, winning the program’s second title in the 200-breaststroke. In the 400-yard freestyle relay consolation final, Pearson, Miller, Hatfield and Moores clocked a 3:28.23 to win the event and take ninth overall. The win meant 18 team points and honorable mention All-America nods for all four swimmers.
In total, the Ducks had 19 All-America accolades and nine honorable mention All-America finishes. They were the top team in the national standings from the Empire 8 and the state of New Jersey.