Lyons roll to synchro victory at four-team Boston University Invitational

BOSTON, MA- The Wheaton College synchronized swimming team rolled to victory at the four-team Boston University Invitational on Saturday at the BU Aquatic Center, winning all four routine competitions while capturing each of the three figures categories in which it had athletes entered. The meet was the Lyons' first of the season that incorporated routines.

Wheaton, which hit the pool for the first time since November 21's New England Figure meet, scored 102 points and was followed in the standings by second-place University of Pennsylvania, which had 80 points, while the hosts took third and Smith College was fourth.

Senior Laura Montes (San Juan, PR/Academia San Jose), sophomore Christiana Butera (San Diego, CA/Academy of Our Lady of Peace) and freshman Rebecca Gordon (North Haven, CT/North Haven) each played a role in three victories, including joining senior Jenna Swinkin (Hamden, CT/Hamden), sophomores Amanda Chils (Lakeland, FL/George Jenkins) and Anastasia Hare (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Seminary) and freshmen Christine Dyster (Tempe, AZ/Corona del Sol) and Kirsten Wendth (Waterford, NY/Shenendehowa) for the top team routine. In that event, Wheaton totaled 78.500 points to pace a four-school field, as the nearest squad to the Lyons tallied 63.500 points.

Montes won A figures with a score of 72.947 points while finishing atop the solo standings at 75.200, six points better than the runner up from Penn. In trio, Butera, Swinkin and Wendth took the top spot with 78.000 points, edging out Wheaton's second-place trio of Chils, Dyster and Montes, whose 73.400 points were 10.900 points better than the third-place squad.

With 63.775 points, Gordon placed first in B figures, where Lyons took the top six spots. Butera was second at 62.370, Swinkin had 59.843, Hare took fourth at 59.553, Wendth was close by with 59.126 points, and Chils tallied 57.892 to come in sixth.

Butera and Gordon joined to record 78.200 points to top a nine-team duet field. Chils and Wendth were second at 75.000, and Dyster and freshman Elizabeth Watkins (Indianapolis, IN/University High School of Indiana) totaled 72.300 to take third. During C figures, Watkins picked up a victory with 60.000 points, while Dyster was second at 59.905.

The Lyons return home next weekend to host their annual Wheaton Invitational, a two-day event that begins Saturday at 1:00 p.m.