Sunday, January 23, 2011

Valparaiso’s women’s swim team returned to the water for the final time this weekend on Sunday, posting a fourth place finish at the Butler Invitational in Fishers, Ind.

The Crusaders finished with 190 points, ahead of fifth place Butler by 78.  Ball State was crowed champion with 802.5 points followed by Xavier (Ohio) with 586.5 and Hillsdale with 326 points.

Amy Andracki (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect H.S.) posted Valpo’s highest finish of the day, doing so in the 100 breaststroke.  She touched the wall with a time of 1:09.44, finishing fourth overall, less than a half of a second out of second place.

Stephanie Ferschl (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago H.S.) paced the Crusaders in the mile, finishing fifth with a time of 18:50.63.  Justine Barnes (Rochester Hills, Mich./Adams H.S.) turned in a sixth place effort in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:18.07. 

Natalie Jarrett (Lebanon, Ind./Western Boone H.S.) added a seventh place mark of 1:02.08 in the 100 backstroke.  Alizabeth Taubert (Bloomington, Ill./University H.S.) also placed seventh on the afternoon, doing so in the 500 freestyle with her time of 5:27.09.

Valparaiso will close out the home portion of the dual meet schedule next Saturday as the Crusaders host IUPUI.  The first event begins at 4 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center pool.