Lehigh swimming and diving wraps up season

Correction: A previous version of this article listed the incorrect finishing position at the end of the meet for the men’s and women’s teams. The men’s team finished sixth place in the meet and the women’s team finished fifth. The article has been updated to reflect that change. 

The Lehigh swimming and diving teams wrapped up their seasons at the Patriot League Championships at Bucknell University on Feb. 15-18. 

The Lehigh men’s team finished sixth and the women’s team finished fifth in their respective divisions, both repeating their finishes from the previous year.

First-year swimmer Ben Kisker helped lead the men’s team, setting a school record for the Mountain Hawks in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:47.56 as part of his 14th place finish.

“Being able to train all year and having it pay off like it did just felt great,” Kisker said. 

He was not expecting to break the record and enjoyed seeing his coach and teammates’ excited reactions to his performance.

The men’s 800-yard freestyle relay team also set a school record with a time of 6:37.21, coming in fifth.

Sophomores Elvin Lee, Tim Norris and Connor Goodyear started off the relay for the Mountain Hawks, with junior Alex Patti finishing. 

Norris also ended up competing for Lehigh in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 50-yard freestyle events. 

Norris said he trained hard this year after missing last year’s championship due to injury, and he expected to make personal gains in his comeback. 

“This was kind of like a big step for me because it was my first (championship meet),” Norris said. 

Sophomore Elvin Lee also contributed to the record-setting 800-yard relay team. He said all meets are exciting, but the Patriot League Championship is even more so because the atmosphere is louder and there are more teams to race. Despite this, Lee said he tries to treat the championship the same as any other meet.

“I try to keep my nerves down, and I feel like I do a good job of that,” Lee said.

Along with his performance in the 800-yard relay, Lee tied for 13th place during the 100-yard butterfly event with a time of 49.48.

On the women’s team, senior Sarah Hardy broke two school records and won two silver medals at the Patriot League Championships.

She got her first second-place finish when she broke the school record in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:59.23 and won another silver medal in the 400-yard individual medley.

Hardy said she felt she worked consistently and intensely leading up to the Patriot League Championships and, from an individual standpoint, the meet could not have gone better. She said regardless of time or place, she is still proud of herself.

“I am beyond proud of every single person on this team, guy and girl,” Hardy said. “We definitely put our best foot forward.”