EAST STROUDSBURG -- On senior day, the East Stroudsburg University swimming team clocked three PSAC qualifying times to highlight the annual ESU Invitational at Koehler Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors welcomed Kutztown, Lehigh (men and women) and Millersville in the final competition before the PSAC Championships. There was no team scoring.

Notables

• ESU sophomore Maddie Tafe posted a PSAC qualifying time in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 18:56.27, besting her seed time by nearly a minute (19:50.32).
• Sophomore Naihomy Garcia posted two qualifying marks on the day, both in the freestyle. She first met the threshold of 25.64 in the 50-yd freestyle and then clocked a qualifying time of 56.10 in the 100-yd freestyle. 
• The ESU athletic department honored Warrior seniors Emma Billings and Sarah Luigard prior to the meet. Billings qualified for PSAC Championships earlier this season in the 100-yd freestyle. An excellent student, she holds a 3.98 GPA as special education middle level major.
• Luigard, a native of Silver Spring, Md., holds a pair of ESU Top-10 times in the 400-yd individual medley and 200-yd butterfly. A marine science major, she is tied for the  Warrior lead with two PSAC qualifying marks this season in the 100-yd butterfly and 400 individual medley.
• The meet also marked the final home collegiate competition for graduate student Julia Harnish.

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How it Happened

• ESU grabbed fourth-place in the 200-yd medley relay, featuring Jenna Johnson, Harnish, Luigard and Billings. The squad combined for a time of 1:59.00.
• Tafe then posted her conference qualifying mark in the 1650-yd freestyle in event three following the men's relay. It's a new personal best for the Sayville, N.Y. native, who punched her ticket to York with the qualifying mark.
• Johnson (1:04.27), Bansky (1:05.99) and Luigard (1:07.70) finished 10th though 12th in the 100-yd backstroke.
• Harnish (1:15.02) and Avery Fohring (1:15.22) represented the Warriors in the 100-yd breaststroke, taking eight and ninth among the 13 swimmers in the event.
• Garcia notched her impressive 25.64 time in the 50-yd freestyle for the PSAC qualifying mark. She finished seventh overall in the event. Erin Brandeburg (10th, 26.43), Tafe (12th, 26.87) Nina Marchese (13th, 27.04), Gabby Ciesla (16th, 28.19) and Olivia Tokonitz (19th, 28.54) also swam in the 50-yd free.
• Garcia was also the top Warrior swimmer in the 100-yd freestyle, snagging sixth in the event. Her time of 56.10 cleared the conference threshold of 56.35. Also swimming in the 100 free for the Warriors was Marchese (10th, 58.82), Ciesla (12th, 59.44), Luigard (14th, 1:00.45) and Fohring (1:00.68).
• Fohring was the lone Warrior to swim in the 500-yd freestyle, taking fifth with a time of 5:58.88.
• Ellie Parido represented ESU in the 100-yd butterfly, registering a mark of 1:09.13 for 11th place.
• Johnson (2:21.77), Bansky (2:22.98) and Luigard (2:23.39), finished sixth through ninth in the 200-yd individual medley. Billings (2:30.92) and Harnish (2:39.14) followed in 12th and 13th place.
• In the final relay event, ESU placed best among the Division II schools with a four-place mark in the 200-yd freestyle relay. The team of Billings, Tafe, Garcia and Johnson clocked a time of 1:45.95 to lead the Warriors. Brandeburg, Ciesla, Fohring and Marchese took sixth-place in the event with a time of 1:49.03.

Up Next 

• ESU heads to the PSAC Championships from February 16-19 in York. Pa. at the Graham Aquatic Center.
• Seven Warriors will represent ESU at the conference meet after reaching qualifying marks in seven different events for the PSAC Championships.
  • 50 Free: Jenna Johnson (25.64), Naihomy Garcia (25.64)
  • 100 Free: Emma Billings (56.28), Naihomy Garcia (56.10)
  • 1650 Free: Madison Tafe (18:56.27)
  • 100 Breast: Julia Harnish (1:11.12) 
  • 100 Fly: Sarah Luigard (1:01.10)
  • 200 Fly: Avery Fohring (2:18.92)
  • 400 IM: Sarah Luigard (4:51.43)