Valparaiso's women's swimming and diving team finished in fourth place out of eight schools on Friday evening at the Dennis Stark Relays, the season opener for the Crusaders held in Notre Dame, Ind.

Valpo tallied 104 points on the day, trailing just Notre Dame (260), Illinois State (204), and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (126).

The 800 freestyle relay team of Britt Nelson (Cortland, N.Y./Homer H.S.), Danielle Trombatore (Redding, Calif./Shasta H.S.), Maggie Kroemer (Brown Deer, Wis./Milwaukee Lutheran H.S.), and Leah Schneider (Sussex, Wis./Arrowhead H.S.) finished with a time of 8:15.39.

The 400 individual medley relay of Allison Clark (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood H.S.), Ashley Seale (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville H.S.), Lauren Bambach (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman H.S.), and Rachel Korellis (Champaign, Ill./Centennial H.S.) touched the wall fourth in 4:24.43.

Schneider, Seale, Trombatore, and Amanda Gregory (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.) were also fourth in the 400 butterfly relay with a time of 4:13.96, while the 400 backstroke relay of Bambach, Cassidy Kuhlmann (Mount Prospect, Ill./Hersey H.S.), Shannon McDonald (Crown Point, Ind./Marian Catholic H.S.), and Katie Jajtner (Port Washington, Wis./Port Washington H.S.) finished with the same place in 4:25.30.

The 400 free relay of Korellis, Nelson, Gregory, and Schneider were also fourth with a time of 3:51.40.

Valpo will open the dual meet portion of its schedule on October 16 as the Crusaders host Butler in a 1 p.m. meet at the Athletics-Recreation Center.