Senior Jared Pellerin's victory in the men's 500 freestyle highlighted the first session of the 2010 Liberty League swimming and diving championships for St. Lawrence University on Friday in Schenectady, NY.

Pellerin used a time of 4:53.90 in the finals to hold off Rochester's Evan Jones (4:54.41) and Adam Herzog (4:55.84). The victory was the first conference championship in an event for the Plattsburgh, NY native, who earned 20 points for St. Lawrence in the team standings.

Classmate Russ Newton posted a fourth place finish in the same event with a time of 4:56.58. Newton and Pellerin combined for 35 of the Saints 132 points in the 500 freestyle event alone.

Senior Rob Sibley, junior Andrew Hayes, sophomore Alex Root and first-year Luke Peleggi earned a fifth place finish in the men's 200 yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:33.81.

Sibley, Hayes and Root, along with senior Jason Dutra placed fourth in the 400 yard medley relay with a time of 3:44.18, over six seconds faster than the fifth place relay team.

On the women's side, sophomore Casey Abribat posted a second place finish in the women's 200 IM with the finals time of 2:14.45.

Abribat, along with first-year Katharina Weidhausser, junior Brynn Hagen and senior Katy Kozminski earned a fifth place finish in the 200 yard relay with a time of 1:44.14.

The Saints also placed fourth in the 400 yard medley relay with a time of 4:10.51. Swimming in the event were Abribat, Weidhausser, Kozminksi and first-year student Elizabeth Canne.

The St. Lawrence University men's and women's swimming and diving teams will compete in the second and third sessions of the Liberty League Championships on Saturday, December 4th at Union College.