BUCKHANNON, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Women's Swimming team opened up their season with a sweep of Wheeling and West Virginia Wesleyan by final scores of 151-97 and 176-54, respectively.
 
FSU started out the meet in fine fashion, taking each of the top two spots in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of junior Gabriela Betancourt and seniors Kendall Hooper, Natasha Paciello, and Amaya Burke took first at 1:55.95, while sophomores Jayme Meadows and Reagan Chase teamed with senior Meaghan Keegan and freshman Taylor Emrich just behind at 1:56.70.
 
Hooper went on to pick up a pair of wins in the 100 fly and the 200 fly at 1:02.63 and 2:19.02, respectively, as sophomore Alexis Ramsey (1:05.37, 2:24.76) placed third behind her in each. Freshman Genevieve Rippeon also earned two solo victories, as she dominated the distance events in the 500 free (5:28.10) and the 1,000 free (11:03.71), putting herself third all-time in the latter event, where senior Lydia Nebiolo (11:14.72) was right behind her in second, further going on to win the 200 back in 2:15.98.
 
Placing second behind Nebiolo was freshman Taylor Emrich (2:18.43), who picked up another runner-up finish in the 200 IM at 2:21.70. Frostburg went on to impress in the breaststroke events, with Paciello and Keegan going 1-2 in the 100 in 1:10.86 and 1:11.25, then flipping places in second and third in the 200 at 2:35.00 and 2:37.05. Meadows (1:02.76) and sophomore Gabriella Douglas (25.90) picked up the final individual victories of the day in the 100 back and the 50 free, respectively.
 
Also earning spots on the podium were Betancourt (1:03.60) just behind Meadows, freshman Ashley Ellsworth (2:06.53) earning second in the 200 free, and Burke (58.74) placing third in the 100 free.
 
In the final event of the day, Burke, Douglas, Meadows, and Rippeon won the 200 free relay at 1:41.80, while Ellsworth joined junior Abby McCauley, sophomore Brenna Naddeo, and freshman Kay Buhrman in third at 1:47.83.
 
With the sweep, Frostburg begins the year 2-0, while WU finished 1-1 and Wesleyan drops to 0-2. FSU next has their home opener on Friday, October 18 against Shippensburg at 5 p.m. for Homecoming Weekend in Frostburg. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.