Season Recap

2012 Season Recap

Quality over quantity - that is just what the Saint Mary's swim team's unofficial mantra could have been this season. With fewer than a dozen swimmers and no divers, second year head coach Mark Benishek saw his team embrace every challenge they encountered over the course of the 2011-12 season.

The Belles picked up a dual meet victory over Defiance in mid-November. Saint Mary’s claimed first place in 12 of 14 swim events unofficially as Saint Mary's had exhibition times in the 200 individual medley despite finishing the race first.

A week later, the team moved up in the standings from day one in day two of the Wabash Woehnker Invitational. Audrey Dalrymple finished in second place finish in the 100 breaststroke to lead the way. The senior co-captain also finished in the top eight in the 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley for the top finishes for Saint Mary's at the invitational. The Belles' 200 medley relay and 200 free relay both finished within the top eight on the day as well to help the team move up in the standings for a sixth place finish.

At the season-ending MIAA Championships in February, several personal-best times were set, NCAA B cut times were achieved, and a school record fell. The majority of the members of the team set collegiate personal best times in their individual events. Each member of the team contributed points to the Belles' efforts on either a relay or individual level in the three-and-a-half day championship.

In the final day of competition at the MIAA Championships, senior Audrey Dalrymple and freshman Anna Nolan had strong individual finishes to cap off the season. Dalrymple earned a B cut in the morning session in the 200 breaststroke only to improve upon her time later in the day for a second B cut. Nolan, meanwhile, set a new school record for the 50 free with a 24.74 in the event. The school record highlighted a weekend when a handful of new program top-five fastest times were set.

After the completion of the conference event, Audrey Dalrymple earned her third All-MIAA distinction of her career. She became just the third swimmer in program history to earn All-MIAA honors three or more times in a career. It is also the six consecutive season that a member of the Saint Mary's swimming and diving program has earned All-MIAA accolades.