Feb. 24, 2008

Senn Closes Out Swimming Career in Record-Setting 400 Free Relay

    Akron, Ohio -- Senior Brittany Senn helped break a 25-year-old school record in her final collegiate event to cap off a superior effort for Youngstown State at the 2008 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships.
    Senn swam the third leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay that posted a third-place time of 3:31.73. That time shattered the old mark of 3:35.41 set on March 10, 1984, and it was YSU's fastest time in the event this season by almost eight seconds.
    Alana Kane posted a personal-best split to start the race, and Ashley Williamson, Senn and Megan Rupe finished it.
    The third-place finish was also the school's best-ever placing in a relay event at the Horizon League meet.
    The Penguins finished fifth overall at the four-day meet, and they finished ahead of three teams at the championships for the first time.
    The relay record was one of three to fall on the final day and one of nine set overall at the meet.
    Junior Olivia Arnold set the school mark in the 1,650 free with a sixth-place time of 17:33.69. Williamson also broke her third individual record at the meet, clocking in with a time of 2:06.01 in the 200 back.
    Rupe finished sixth in the 100 free with a personal-best time of 52.46, and Senn was 14th (53.35.
    Natasha Bray added a 12th-place finish in the 1,650 (17:56.64), and Julia Darling and Laura Hanley finished 15th and 16th in the 200 breast.
    The meet was also the final collegiate competition for Darling and Amanda Ladd. They and Senn comprised coach Matt Anderson's first recruiting class at YSU.