Synchronized Swimming Athletes Compete in Three Events at U.S. National Meet

The Wheaton College synchronized swimming team had seven athletes compete on Thursday in the preliminary rounds of the U.S. National Championship at Stanford University. Wheaton's team routine turned in a 14th-place showing, as senior Sharada Strasmore (Weston, CT/Weston), juniors Laura Montes (San Juan, PR/Academia San Jose) and Jenna Swinkin (Hamden, CT/Hamden), and freshmen Christiana Butera (San Diego, CA/Academy of Our Lady of Peace), Amanda Chils (Lakeland, FL/George Jenkins), Rachel Cordo (Wayzata, MN/Wayzata) and Anastasia Hare (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Seminary) each performed. During the solo competition, Montes and Strasmore tied each other for 24th with 82.000 points, coming within 2.167 points of a swimmer from regional heavyweight Canisius College. Butera and Chils tied for 24th in the duet, while Cordo and Swinkin tied for 28th. The Lyons had last sent an athlete to the national meet in 2007, when Montes competed in solo. Wheaton most recently performed a duet in 2002 and a team routine in 1996.