ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's swimming & diving team hosted both Union College and SUNY Geneseo for its final regular season duals of the 2023-24 season. The Bombers celebrated Senior Day honoring the career of senior diver Audrey Scott as the Bombers ended up dominating Union besting the Garnet Chargers by a 251-45 final but fell to the SUNY Geneseo Knights, 168-132.
 
In diving action, it was graduate student Abby Marraccino who bested the field in both events. She beat out teammate Kailee Payne on the 1-meter boards as Marraccino scored a 294.85 compared to Payne's 277.75. And then in 3-meter action, which has proved to be the high scoring of the two over the course of Marraccino's career, she once again outscored Kailee Payne totaling 307.40 compared to 305.05 as it was back and forth going down to the final dives.
 
First year Samantha Bender turned in an impressive afternoon as she helped IC to a second-place result in both the 200-yard medley relay as well as the 200-yard freestyle relays and then collected a first-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke. She raced out to an early lead and touched the final wall in 2:08.38 as she also finished second in the 50-yard freestyle (24.39) and the 100-yard freestyle (59.20).
 
Top Performances
 
200 medley relay
2nd place (Katie Champagne, Spencer Carroll, Kathleen Papiernik and Angela Merch), 1:48.09
 
1,000 free
Kerry O'Brien, 2nd place, 10:50.43
Emma Heinze 3rd place, 10:52.59
 
200 free
Naomi Fry, 2nd place, 1:55.88
Angela Merch, 3rd place, 1:55.94
 
100 back
Katie Champagne, 1st place, 58.34
Willa Sarcone, 3rd place, 1:00.33
 
100 breaststroke
Emma Kidd, 3rd place, 1:08.88
 
200 butterfly
Kathleen Papiernik, 2nd place, 2:08.96
 
50 free
Samantha Bender, 2nd place, 24.39
 
1-meter dive
Abby Marraccino, 1st place, 294.85 points
Kailee Payne, 2nd place, 277.75 points
Angela Burke, 3rd place, 261.15 points
 
100 free
Angela Merch, 4th place, 53.74
 
200 back
Samantha Bender, 1st place, 2:08.38
 
200 breast
Kathleen Papiernik, 1st place, 2:27.99
 
500 free
Naomi Fry, 3rd place, 5:13.71
 
100 fly
Samantha Bender, 2nd place, 59.20
 
3-meter dive
Abby Marraccino, 1st place, 307.40 points
Kailee Payne, 2nd place, 305.05 points
Angela Burke, 3rd place, 300.75 points
 
400 IM
Lauren Brady, 2nd place, 4:48.59
 
200 freestyle relays
Angela Merch, Naomi Fry, Spencer Carroll and Samantha Bender, 2nd place, 1:38.03
 
Divers will return to action next Saturday traveling to SUNY Geneseo for the Genaca Diving Invitational at 12:00 p.m. and the entire program will take part in the four-day Liberty League Championships beginning on Wednesday, February 21.