Despite opening the meet by collecting wins in the first two events, the Bucknell men’s swimming and diving squad dropped a 210-73 decision to Princeton on Saturday in its first competition of 2007. With the setback, the Bison fell to 3-3 (2-1 PL), while the Tigers moved to 5-4 on the season.
 
Sophomore Mark Kawczenski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Hanover Area) started things off by winning the opening event for the Orange and Blue with his time of 53.35 in the 100 back.
 
Sophomore Michael Deighan (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) and junior Bradford Bennett (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) followed up by going one-two in the 100 breast with times of 59.25 and 59.68, respectively. However, the Bison were only able to manage one other event win the rest of the way as senior Matt Crandell (Winchester, Va./John Handley) claimed the top time in the 200 fly, touching the wall in one minute, 56.04 seconds.
 
Junior Grant Steadman (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) scored points for Bucknell in three events, finishing third in the 50 free (22.26), fourth in the 100 free (48.22) and fourth in the 100 fly (54.06).
 
Three other Bison posted third-place times as well. Junior John Peterman (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) was third in the 200 free with a time of 1:46.86, freshman Daniel Fletcher (Wyomissing,  Pa./Wilson) came in third in the 200 IM as he finished in 2:02.37 and freshman David Iselin (Potomac, Md./Churchill) was third in the 200 back with a time of 1:59.72.
 
Freshman Luke Trafton (Bath, Maine/Morse) and junior Joseph Metcalf (Knoxville, Tenn./Phillips Exeter Academy) each finished fourth in an event. Trafton posted a time of 4:29.59 in the 400 IM and Metcalf swam the 200 breast in 2:14.90.
 
On the boards, sophomore Jeffrey Manning (Bringhurst, Ind./Carroll Jr./Sr. High) was the top finisher for the Orange and Blue, taking fifth in both events. He scored 260.92 points in one-meter diving and posted a score of 274.05 in three-meter diving.  
 
Bucknell returns home to Kinney Natatorium next weekend and will play host to Army and Colgate on Saturday, Jan. 3, in Patriot League action slated to begin at 2 p.m.
 

The Bucknell women’s swimming and diving team began the second half of its schedule on Saturday with a non-scored meet at Princeton with James Madison. In the individual events, the Bison took home two first-place finishes and three runner-up showings.

Freshman Courtney Warren (Montour Falls, N.Y./Watkins Glen) and junior Kirsten Skroski (North Haven, Conn./Hopkins) both collected wins for the Orange and Blue as Warren was the first to touch the wall in the 50 back with a time of 27.77 seconds and Skroski posted the top time of 53.97 in the 100 free.

Senior Rebecca Scheffter (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) finished second in the 150 free with a time of 1:26.16 and classmate Katherine Munson (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) was the runner-up in the 50 fly (27.43). Sophomore Kelly Morris (Metuchen, N.J./Metuchen) collected a second-place finish as well, completing the 50 breast in 31.95.

Senior Nikki Woodward (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) led a two-three-four Bucknell sweep in the 200 IM as she posted a time of 2:14.43 in the event, followed by freshman Megan Mongan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) who finished in 2:14.59. Senior Laura Goeller (Wilmington, Del./Tower Hill), rounded out the group with a time of 2:14.74.

Woodward was also the runner-up in the 150 IM with a time of 1:39.18, Mongan placed third in the 50 free with a time of 24.96 and junior Lauren Butrie (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) took third in the 25 free (12.44).

In the relay events, the team of Warren, Morris, Munson and Scheffter came in second in the 200 medley relay in 1:50.74 and Scheffter, sophomore Susan Horstmann (Havertown, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara), Mongan, Warren, Munson and Butrie posted a runner-up time of 3:04.75 in the 350 free relay.

On the boards, freshman Eliza Massie (Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) was the top finisher for the Bison as she scored 246.52 points to take fourth in the one-meter, while her mark of 257.54 was good for fifth in the three-meter.

Bucknell returns home next Saturday, Jan. 13, when the team will play host to Patriot League foes Army and Colgate at 2 p.m. in Kinney Natatorium.