• Top Individual Times (.pdf)
• Top Relay Times (.pdf)

CALIFORNIA (Dec. 18) – Through the early portion of the 2009-10 season, California University of Pennsylvania sophomore Melissa Gates (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) is among the NCAA Division II national leaders in both the 50 and 100 freestyle. Five relay teams for the Vulcans are also ranked among the best in the country.

Gates ranks third in the nation in the 50 freestyle, swimming a blistering NCAA Championships automatic-qualifying time of 23.49 seconds last weekend at the 13th-annual James E. Longnecker Invitational, hosted by Grove City. Her time is only two-tenths of a second behind the national leader – Jacquelyn Borkowski of West Chester, who finished third in the event at last year's NCAA Championships.

A sophomore from Lancaster, Gates also is ninth in the country in the 100 freestyle with a NCAA “B” time of 52.00 seconds set at Grove City.

Gates also is a member of three of the five nationally-ranked relay teams, which all set season-best times at the Longnecker Invitational.

The 200 freestyle relay team of Gates, freshmen Caitlyn Sirkoch (Plum, Pa./Plum) and Kelly Geras (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and senior Rachel Kurta (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) ranks 17th nationally with a time of 1 minute, 39.02 seconds.

In addition to the 200 freestyle relay, Gates, Geras and Kurta teamed with junior Lauren Arnold (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brentwood) to post a time of 3:39.19 in the 400 freestyle relay, which also ranks 17th in the country.

The other nationally-ranked relay teams are as follow:

• 800 freestyle relay: Kurta, Geras, Arnold, freshman Georgia Emert (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) – 24th (8:11.47)

• 200 medley relay: freshman Kasey Travitz (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg), Sirkoch, freshman Bruna Carvalho (Para, Brazil/Miltom Campos), Gates – 22nd (1:51.17)

• 400 medley relay: Emert, Gates, Carvalho and Kurta – 24th (4:05.57)

The Vulcans are idle for almost a month before returning to the pool on Saturday, Jan. 16, in dual meets against Marshall and Akron in Huntington, W.Va.