East Meadow, NY| On Friday, the LIU Post women's swimming team won the opening event at the 2017 ECAC Winter Swimming and Diving Championships at the Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park.

The Pioneers' 200-yard medley relay team of Karis Fuller, Caitlin Johnstone, Laura Bendfelt, and Tove Sparman led off the three-day meet with a winning time of 1:43.85. With the finish, the 200-yard relay team nearly broke the meet record (1:43.00),

Then, in the 1,650-yard freestyle, Gena Mendez earned 22 points for the Pioneers with an eight-place time of 17:35.80. Mendez finished second in the race amongst all DII swimmers with Annagrazia Bonsanti of University of Bridgeport earning the top-seed.

The 800-yard freestyle relay team of Fuller, Bendfeldt, Cornina Reed and Sparrman finished second, after touching the pad at 7:44.61. The team was the highest DII finished in the race falling just behind DI schools Wagner College and Fairfield University.

The LIU Post women's swimming team returns to the pool Saturday (Dec. 2) for day two of the 2017 ECAC Winter Swimming and Diving Championships at the Nassau County Aquatic Center.