ST. PETERS, Mo. – The McKendree University women's swimming and diving team competed here Saturday in a double dual meet against Lindenwood and Drury, who are two of the top women's swimming and diving programs in NCAA Division II, at the St. Peters Rec Plex.
 
McKendree lost both of its dual meets on Saturday as they fell 203.50-93.50 to Lindenwood and fell 214.00-82.00 to Drury University.
 
Lindenwood is the defending Great Lakes Valley Conference women's champion and they placed fourth at last year's Division II National Championships, while Drury is the defending Division II National Runners-up from 2020-21.
 
In Saturday's double dual meet hosted by Lindenwood University, the Bearcats placed in the Top 3 in seven of the 16 events that were held, including having both of its relay teams finish in the Top 3. The Bearcats also got an NCAA qualifying mark in 1-meter diving from senior diver Lilia de Oliveria Pelaez (Ile Perrot, Quebec/New Mexico State).
 
Freshman Karley Sonnenberg (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) recorded a team-best four Top 3 finishes on Saturday as she was the anchor leg on McKendree's third-place 400 medley relay team that swam a time of 3:59.61 and was the lead leg of the second place 200 freestyle relay team that recorded a time of 1:37.57. In addition, she was third in both the 50 freestyle (24.14) and 100 freestyle (53.59).
 
Along with Sonnenberg, freshman Aurora Abbruscato (Reggio Emilia, Italy/I.I.S. Blaise Pascal) placed in the Top 3 in three events as she was the third leg on the third-place 400 medley relay team and the third leg on the second place 200 freestyle relay team, along with being second in the 100 butterfly with a time of 58.63.
 
In diving, the Bearcats two divers went second and third on the 1-meter board and third and fourth on the 1-meter board. On the 1-meter board, de Oliveira Pelaez was second as she tallied an NCAA qualifying score of 268.55, while sophomore Regan Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) was third and was just shy of an NCAA qualifying score as she tallied 252.55, while on the 3-meter board, de Oliveria Pelaez was third with a score of 219.25 and Gubera was fourth with a score of 215.10.
 
The other members of the third place finishing 400 medley relay team were freshman Caitlyn Sligh (Tomball, Texas/Tomball Memorial) and junior Grace Credit (La Grange Highlands, Ill./Lyons Township), while the other two members of the second place 200 freestyle relay team were senior Haley Rey (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) and senior Abigail Rumpp (Knoxville, Tenn./L&N STEM Academy).
 
The Bearcats will return to the pool this coming weekend (Oct. 22-23) as they host the Saint Louis University and Truman State in a double dual meet on Oct. 22 beginning at 1 p,m. at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex Pool in O'Fallon, Ill., before hosting a double dual on Oct. 23 beginning at 12 p.m. against both Delta State University and Missouri S&T.

Here are the individual results from the Lindenwood/Drury Dual Meet
 400 Medley Relay
3. McKendree 'A' – 3:59.61 – Sligh, Credit, Abbruscato, Sonnenberg
7. McKendree 'B' – 4:09.37 – Rumpp, Presley Heitzmann, Rey, Alexis Kachkin

1,000 Freestyle
5. Hallie Dixon, 11:05.70

200 Freestyle
7. Molly Smalley, 1:59.19
12. Ana Radulovic, 2:01.59
14. Hope Euler, 2:03.44

100 Backstroke
9. Rumpp, 1:01.20
11. Sligh, 1:01.84

100 Breaststoke
6. Credit, 1:09.12
10. Heitzmann, 1:09.99

200 Butterfly
5. Rey, 2:14.68
T7. Vanda Voroshazy, 2:16.08

50 Freestyle
3. Sonnenberg, 24.13
7. Abbruscato, 24.58
9. Emily Drabick, 25.11
12. Kachkin, 25.67
15. Radulovic, 26.38
17. Camryn Anderson, 26.76

1-Meter Diving
2. de Oliveira Pelaez, 268.55
3. Gubera, 252.55
8. Andrea Menard-Cordoba, 176.10

100 Freestyle
3. Sonnenberg, 53.59
10. Rumpp, 56.28
12. Kachkin, 56.44

200 Backstroke
10. Sligh, 2:15.67
12. Drabick, 2:19.31

200 Breaststroke
6. Heitzmann, 2:30.24
8. Credit, 2:31.34

500 Freestyle
9. Radulovic, 5:23.75
10. Smalley, 5:24.39
11. Dixon, 5:32.98

100 Butterfly
2. Abbruscato, 58.63
6. Voroshazy, 1:00.81
10. Rey, 1:01.87

3-Meter Diving
3. de Oliveria Pelaez, 219.25
4. Gubera, 215.10
7. Menard-Cordoba, 183.75

200 IM
5. Smalley, 2:12.97
10. Voroshazy, 2:15.38
13. Drabick, 2:17.20
15. Heitzmann, 2:19.15

200 Freestyle Relay
2. McKendree 'A' – 1:37.57 – Sonnenberg, Rey, Abbruscato, Rumpp
7. McKendree 'B' – 1:42.60 – Kachkin, Drabick, Credit, Radulovic