The Franciscan University Swimming and Diving team beat Pitt-Bradford 52-43 in a battle of the top two teams in the AMCC. FUS went into the match against the Lady Panthers, as well as Division II Alfred College, as the number one team in their conference. The win puts the Lady Baron's in prime position with one conference meet left before the AMCC championships.

"Beating them was a big deal," Head Coach Becky Recznik said. "We went into the meet hopeful but not expecting, because you never know but I'm really excited."

The meet itself, not just the context, was packed with drama. The Lady Barons and the Lady Panthers were neck and neck for most of the meet until FUS went on a run of impressive individual performances.

The run started when freshman sprinter Aimee Vunovich won the 100-yard backstroke over a Pitt-Bradford swimmer by only 2.1 hundredths of a second, giving Franciscan a two point lead with a time of 1:11.25.

Then sophomore Maria Giuliani finished in second place in 500-yard freestyle, losing only to a swimmer from Alford State and beating the Pitt-Bradford swimmer again by a mere fraction of a second, with a time of 5:47.53.

"In both the 100 backstroke and the 500 freestyle it came down to touches at the finish," Recznik said. "Its all about timing and getting your strokes right in the water so you can finish with a stretch and both Aimee and Maria did that perfectly."

Now up by four, the Lady Baron's needed at least three more points before the final two relays to guarantee the win over the Lady Panthers. They got that and more as FUS finished in first and second in the 100-yard breaststroke. Sophomore Molly Coogan grabbed first with a time of 1:21.14 while senior captain Maria Deuchar placed second with a time of 1:23.94. The two swimmers helped Franciscan take a 52-36 lead into the final two relays, clinching the win.

"We had some really great swims and that pulled us ahead," Recznik said. "Usually the most important swims are the relays. Bradford had three relay teams and we only had one, but even though they won both the relays, we still won the meet."

Recznik also said that having Division II school Alfred College, who beat FUS 63-31, at the meet helped push her team despite the loss.

"Its always exciting as coaches to watch. When you're swimming in a pool with a team that's as good as Alford is, it really pushes the girls," Recznik said. "Seeing someone in front of you gives you that extra umph to push just a little harder."

A Division II school will push Franciscan again on senior night on January 18, as they take on Ursuline College in the Lady Baron's second and final home meet of the year.