BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn women's swimming team topped both St. Francis Brooklyn and Manhattan in a two-day double dual meet at LIU Pool on Saturday. The Blackbirds won five events on the second day, which featured two podium sweeps in both the 100 yard and 200 yard backstroke. The Blackbirds trailed the Terriers their nearby NEC rivals, 58-51, after the first day, but ended up winning by eleven points, 153-142. The Blackbirds also beat the Jaspers, 223-63 in the final tally in the season opening meet.
The Blackbirds swept the two backstroke events with six different swimmers finishing in the top three in each race. In the 100 back, senior Nathalie Meyers, who was injured her during entire junior season, was the surprise winner out of lane six, with a time of 1:00.84. Sophomores Jeanne Touchette-McGowan (1:01.48) and Alyssa Juris (1:02.63) were second and third, respectively.
In the 200 backstroke, sophomore Amanda Peren was way out in front, winning by seven seconds over her teammates with a 2:10.23 mark. LIU junior Noemie Lacroix-Moreau (2:17.61) and sophomore Jodi Hawki (2:20.02) captured second and third place, respectively, in the event.
LIU's other solo win on day two of the meet came via senior Briana Vega in the 100 freestyle, as the co-captain touched in at 54.07, to win by 0.24 over her Terriers opponent.
Two relays bracketed the days action, with the 400 medley relay leading off the day's events. The Blackbirds 'A' team of Peren, senior Mads Carrigan, freshman Amanda San Juan and Vega won with a 4:03.86 mark, over the Blackbirds 'B' squad. The 'B' team of Touchette-McGowan, sophomore Avery Vernon, Lacroix-Moreau and freshman Lydia Amon impressed with a 4:07.22 mark, which touched almost five full seconds before the Terriers' 'A' relay.
The final relay two-day meet was the 200 freestyle, the ultimate team sprint event, and it was smooth sailing for the Blackbirds behind Amon, Meyers, Peren and Vega in 1:39.11. All four on the LIU 'A' team swam sub 26-second times in the first relay of the season, with Vega going below 24 seconds (23.99). The Blackbirds 'B' team was also sharp, just missing out on second place by 0.16 with a team of Hawki, Carrigan, Touchette-McGowan and San Juan in (1:41.85).
Other top event results include: San Juan (2:14.85), Lacroix-Moreau (2:15.36) and sophomore Kyleigh Barao (2:20.05) finishing 2-3-4 in the 200 butterfly... Peren (1:58.17) and San Juan (1:58.77) going 2-3 in the 200 freestyle… San Juan (1:01.60) and sophomore Addison Donahue (1:01.65) placing second and fourth in the 100 butterfly in a race where the top four were all withon 0.11 seconds of each other… Carrigan (1:10.31) and freshman Mackenzie Burnett (1:10.53) finishing 3-4 in the 100 breaststroke… Amon (55.08) coming in fourth in the 100 freestyle.
The Blackbirds (2-0) will have next weekend off and return to competition on Friday, October 19 with a non-scoring meet at Columbia, followed by the NJIT Invitational on Sunday, October 21 in Newark, N.J.