The Valparaiso women’s swimming and diving team opened the 2012-2013 season on Sunday afternoon in Fishers, Ind., swimming against four other schools in a meet hosted by Butler.

The Crusaders dropped all four matchups, as the meet was scored in dual meet fashion.  Valpo fell 123-78 to Butler, 172.5-54.5 to Saint Louis, 182-45 to Evansville and 181-52 to Wright State.

Valpo’s top individual finishes of the meet came courtesy of junior Andrea Bretl in the distance events.  Bretl swam to a second-place finish in the 500 free with a time of 5:23.44 and also finished third in the 1000 free with a time of 11:12.96.

Sophomore Flavia Segatto also posted a pair of top-five finishes on Sunday.  Segatto came home fifth in the 400 IM, touching the wall in 4:48.57, and also placed fifth in the 200 back with a time of 2:15.73.  Bretl and Segatto teamed with freshmen Ciara Lightner and Erin McBride to swim the 400 free relay, posting a time of 3:47.31 to finish in fourth place.

Lightner posted Valpo’s top time of the day in the 50 free (25.89), while McBride swam the Crusaders’ best time in the 100 free (58.98).  Senior Justine Barnes paced the Crusaders in the 200 butterfly (2:24.70), junior Ali Taubert led the Valpo contingent in the 200 free (2:07.44) and sophomore Makenna Cannon posted Valpo’s best time in the 200 breaststroke (2:40.11).

Valparaiso returns to the pool to host its Alumni Homecoming meet at the ARC next Saturday, Oct. 6 beginning at 9 a.m.