St. Mary's City, Md. – St. Mary's College of Maryland women's swimming kicked off the 2015-16 season with a split Saturday afternoon. The Seahawks (1-1, 0-1 CAC) posted a 135.50-68.50 non-conference win over Goucher College (3-2) but dropped a heartbreaking 104-101 Capital Athletic Conference decision to Marymount (Va.) University (2-0, 1-0 CAC).

The matchup between St. Mary's and Marymount came down to the last two events. The Seahawks held a lead over Marymount through the first seven events. The Saints claimed their first lead of the meet, 76-74, with a 1-3-4 finish in the 200 backstroke. However, senior captain Zoe McIlmail (Frederick, Md./Urbana) captured the 500 freestyle to regain an 85-84 lead with the 200 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay remaining.

Marymount then staked a 98-90 advantage after a 1-2-5 finish in the 200 breaststroke. The Seahawks continued fighting, taking first place in the final event for 11 points but fell short as Marymount came in second and third for a total of six points and a three-point margin of victory.

McIlmail paced St. Mary's on the day with three gold medals while fellow classmate and captain, Cara Machlin (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson), and sophomore Elizabeth Straathof (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) each picked up two wins.

Senior captain Karlie Straight (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur), first-year Hailley Baughman (Lineboro, Md./Manchester Valley), sophomore Rachel Sonnenberg (Derwood, Md./Magruder), and first-year Samantha Schoenecker (Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson) posted a winning time of 4:19.80 in the 400 medley relay.

McIlmail captured the 200 freestyle (2:01.33) as well as the 500 freestyle (5:29.76) before swimming the lead on the winning 400 free relay (3:49.66) with Machlin, first-year Elizabeth Valenti (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard), and Straathof.

Straathof tied for first in the 50 freestyle with Goucher's Ila Jackson as both touched the wall in 26.19. She also earned a silver in the 100 freestyle with a time of 57.30. Machlin picked up her individual gold in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:17.52 while Sonnenberg came in second in 2:23.04. Machlin added a silver medal with a second-place finish in the 1,000 freestyle (11:08.87).

Valenti finished second in the 200 individual medley (2:21.27) and fourth in the 200 breaststroke (2:42.73), adding to her gold in the 400 free relay. Straight was second in the 200 backstroke (2:19.42) while Baughman notched a bronze in the 200 breaststroke (2:42.63) to pace the Seahawks.

St. Mary's will be back in action next Friday, November 6, hosting Randolph-Macon College in a non-conference dual meet at 4:00 p.m. 

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