The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's swimming and diving team finished second behind Stevens Tech in a closely matched Skyline Conference Championship, recently in O'Hara Pool.

"Both the men's and women's team swam really well today," remarked Mariner Head Coach Sean Tedesco. "The women's team swam much better then expected. Morgan Evans, Elizabeth Mock and Gina Gottschalk really led the way. However, Danielle Vignocchi, Maggie Edwards and Cassandra Shadwick added much needed depth today."

The Mariners finished with 99 points, 19 points behind the Stevens Ducks.

Mariner freshman Gina Gottschalk earned female Rookie of the Year honors, while Duck Lorrie Brabender won Female Swimmer of the Year.

Gottschalk helped earn key points for the Mariners finishing second in the 200-yard IM, and the 100-yard butterfly.

The Mariners took away a first place finish in the last event of the afternoon, the 200-yard freestyle relay. Senior Morgan Evans, freshman Danielle Vignocchi, sophomore Meaghan Foster and Gottschalk finished with a time of 1:56.58, barely a second in front of the freestyle relay team from St. Joseph's College.

Mariner diver Sarah Christensen was named Female Diver of the Meet, finishing second off the 1-meter board with 172.95 points and first off the 3-meter board with a score of 160.50.

Also performing well for the Mariners were Evans, Mock and sophomore Meaghan Foster.

Evans finished third in the 50-yard breast stroke with a time of 37.82. Mock finished third and fourth in the 50-yard and 100-yard backstroke respectively with times of 34.4 and 1:15.44. Foster finished up fourth in 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:19.47.

Rounding out the top-3 for the women in team scores was St. Joseph's College with 83 points. Mount Saint Mary College, College of Mount Saint Vincent, Maritime, and Old Westbury finished out the bottom four respectively.