ALFRED, NY -- The Alfred University women's swimming & diving team opened its 2025-26 season with a home loss to Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday evening.
The Saxons (0-1, 0-0 Empire 8) fell by a score of 197-99. "
It is always difficult to gauge where we are in readiness going into the first dual meet. It doesn't make anything easier when your first is against a top-tier team like RIT," Head Coach Brian Striker '00 said. "We came out of the gate strong today and our team energy was great. They swam fast, faster than I would have expected given where we are in the season and Ruby [Kavanagh] dove as good she ever has. Liz [Share] started off without missing a beat, breaking her own pool record in the 100 backstroke. We had several upper-class swimmers swim their personal bests, including Ruby on the boards, which is a great indicator of potential this early in a season. Based on what I saw today, I'm excited for this group. I think it'll be a fun and successful season for them!"
Elizabeth Share (Macedon, NY/Palmyra-Macedon) broke her own McLane Natatorium record of 1:00.52 with a new time of 1:00.18 as she won the 100-yard backstroke. She went on to win the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:12.85, out-pacing the rest of the pool by almost 14 seconds. Share also took the win in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:17.50.
Isobel Anderegg (Wellsboro, PA/Wellsboro Area) also claimed a first-place finish as she swam a 1:11.46 to win the 100-yard breaststroke. Anderegg also earned second place in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:40.85.
Share and Anderegg opened the season by swimming the backstroke and breaststroke legs of the 200-yard medley relay, being joined by Courtney Cherricks (Chincoteague, VA/Big Spring) and Kyra Harry (Garborone, Botswana/Enko Botho) to finish second with a time of 1:56.12, just shy of the Tigers' time of 1:54.05.
Alexandra Simmons (Danbury, CT/Danbury) finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 11:58.22. Harry took second in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking a time of 26.10 just before earning second in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:02.79.
The Saxons will next host Roberts Wesleyan University on Wednesday, October 22 at 4:00pm.
--Swords Forward Saxons--
