Leffler topples 400IM mark twice

ITHACA, N.Y.—Junior Anna Leffler broke the William Smith College 400-yard individual medley record twice today during Day 2 of the Liberty League Swimming & Diving Championships at Ithaca College's Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium. Leffler first broke the Heron 400 IM record in December of 2017 and lowered it to 4:40.82 in December of 2018. During this morning's prelims, she improved her mark again, qualifying second for the championship final in 4:38.42. In the evening finals, Leffler bettered her mark to 4:36.05 and finished third. It's her second top three finish in as many days after a runner-up finish in the 200 IM on Day 1. Sophomore Emma Wilber earned a spot in the championship final for the 100 butterfly with a morning prelim time of 59.05. She took 0.12 seconds off her time in the finals to place sixth. First-year Robin Kirchgessner advanced out of the prelims to the B final, finishing second (10th overall) in her evening swim with a time of 1:00.19, just 0.03 behind the leader. In the 200 freestyle, first-year Katie Mullin and sophomore Molly Eganboth earned a spot in the championship final. Mullin (1:57.5) was fifth in qualifying while Egan (1:58.21) was seventh. In the evening session, Mullin lowered her time to 1:57.19 to place sixth and Egan dropped her time to 1:57.89 and touched the wall seventh. William Smith's 200 medley relay team placed seventh in the evening's championship swim. Mullin, Leffler, Wilber, and Egan clocked in at 1:41.12. The Herons' B relay finished fourth in the B final. The Heron 400 medley relay team of sophomore Lindsay Fleischer, Wilber, Kirchgessner, and first-year Emily Mink finished eighth in the championship final, logging a time of 4:07.16, 0.71 seconds faster than their morning prelim time. William Smith's B relay was eighth in the B final. The Herons remain in sixth place with two days of competition remaining. William Smith has 417 points, 101.5 points ahead of seventh place Skidmore. The Herons are 28 points behind fifth place Union.