SHERMAN, Texas – Thanks to a strenuous training schedule over the winter break the Southwestern women’s swim team finished in third place at the Austin College Invite on Saturday. Seven swimmers posted season best times at the meet and SU was tops in six events.

The Pirates made a statement in their first event of the day, capturing first place in the 200 medley relay. Sarah Ayers, Stephanie Morton, Melissa Nelson and Michele Comerota finished nine one-hundredths of second ahead of McMurry, finishing in a time of 1:59.77.

Ayers also finished in first place in the 100 yard backstroke in a season best time of 1:02.07, one second faster than her closest competitor, and the 100 free coming in 57.02.

Comerota snagged first place in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 27.22 while Anya Lopez-Fuentes posted a season best time of 33.23.

Elizabeth Lewis found a first place finish of her own, winning the 500 yard free nearly six seconds ahead of the competition in a time of 5:29.04.

The hard work the Pirates have put in during winter training in Corpus Christi and on-campus was most apparent in the 200 free. Three of the four swimmers posted season best times including Lewis who took second place in the event with a time of 2:05.20, missing first place by five one-hundredths of a second. Comerota finished in fifth in a time of 2:10.91, Moody’s season best time of 2:13.25 earned her sixth place and Katie Coleman came in eighth in a season best time of 2:18.47.

Southwestern closed out just as they had started, taking first place in the final event, the 200 yard freestyle relay. Ayers, Comerota, Moody, and Nelson finished in a time of 1:47.78, once again narrowly finishing in front of McMurry.

On Saturday the Pirates come home for the first time this season to face Incarnate Word. Meet start time is set for 2:00 pm in the Robertson Center.