ITHACA, NY – The University of Rochester women's swimming and diving team wrapped up competition at the Ithaca Bomber Invitational at the Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium on Saturday evening, ending in second place in the team standings.
 
Overall in the three-day meet, the Yellowjackets scored 2,037.5 points, finishing shy of Ithaca's team-champion score of 2,307. Only two other teams, third place Smith (1,135) and fourth place Vassar (1,115) eclipsed 1,000 team points, finishing well behind of the top two teams. Rounding out the field were Union in fifth (737.5), William Smith in sixth (648) and Alfred in seventh (490).
 
In the third and final day, URochester had two event wins, four runner-up finishes and two times that now sit in the NCAA Division III top-25. In addition, senior Ariana Pasquella set a new school record in the 200-yard breaststroke.
 
Pasquella's record came in a runner-up finish in the 200 breaststroke, with the senior swimming a time of 2:21.54. That broke her own school mark set back in 2024 of 2:21.64. Pasquella's time is now #19 on the Division III top times list this season. Teammate Sarah Leevan ended fifth in the event as well, clocking in with a 2:34.29 time.
 
Senior Morgan Edstrom and sophomore Katelyn Packer were the event winners for the Yellowjackets. Edstrom was first to the wall in the 100 freestyle in 52.38 seconds, while Packer earned a win in the first event final of the day, the 1,650 freestyle. The sophomore's time was 18:07.49 to get Rochester's day three finals session off to a strong start.
 
Finishing right behind Edstrom in the 100 freestyle was first-year Julianne Weaver in second place. The rookie finished in 52.64 seconds. Adele Hellstrom was fourth in 53.03 seconds, also swimming in the A final. Senior Paige Lovelace was 20th overall (55.97 seconds).
 
URochester had five scorers in the 200 backstroke, with four making the A final heat. First-year Phoebe Hamblett was second in 2:06.99, while sophomore Amelia Hardiman was right behind in third place, posting a time of 2:08.77. Joining that pair in the championship final were Olivia Dewar who finished fifth (2:11.32) and Sophia Dmytruk who was sixth (2:11.52). First-year Marin Ievers competed in the B final and was 15th overall.
 
The 'Jackets saw seven swimmers score in the 200 butterfly, the last individual event of the day. Ally Mackey placed third in 2:09.40. Ava Kaufman, Rachele Bachmann and Addison Powers were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. Kaufman finished in 2:11.28, Bachmann touched the wall in 2:13.59 and Powers posted a time of 2:13.80.
 
Rochester's other 200 butterfly scorers were Isabel Phillips in tenth (2:16.46), Mari Finkelstein in 13th (2:17.53) and Natalie Reinhart in 18th (2:24.88).
 
UR also had two other top-8 swimmers in the 1650 freestyle behind Packer's win. Sophomore Rachel Ruminer ended sixth in 18:35.84 and first-year Courtney Dietrich was eighth, finishing in 18:43.87.
 
In the day three diving event for the women, junior Julia Sides led the Rochester group on the 3-meter board, scoring in fifth place with 421.50 points, an NCAA regional qualifying score for her 11-dive list. Teammate Kaela Springer also made the finals, ending eighth with a 376.95 point total.
 
Lilia MacKenzie dove to tenth place, scoring 375.40 points, and Marlena Vieira was one spot behind in 11th, recording a total of 365.20.
 
Closing out the competition, Rochester's 400 freestyle relay team of Hardiman, Hellstrom, Edstrom and Weaver finished in second place, swimming a time of 3:31.25. That groups time is now 14th on the Division III top-times list so far in 2025-26.
 
The Yellowjackets now have over a month off for the winter break, returning to action on January 17 in a road matchup against crosstown rival RIT.