By Alexa Hetzel

Hello Penn State Fans,

As the semester comes to a close for Penn State University, in light of the holiday spirit, we all have many things to give thanks for.

 The end of the semester couldn't have gone better.  At Ohio State both teams swam so well, reaching in season and personal best times.  Both achievements are great signs for the training we have been doing over the past few months and are the building blocks we needed to reach NCAAs and top 3 come the end of the season at Big Tens.

In addition to all the fast swimming the student side of all 60 athletes really started to shine through.   Since the end of finals week, this past Friday, the GPA for the women's team should be one of the best we have ever had.  This academic accomplishment is something that we take pride in as well as our swimming.  Being able to reach such a great GPA as a team just shows the organization, balance and true commitment to being an athlete as well as a student. 

But all of finals week is not all play, we have some fun as well.  Our annual Secret Santa commenced and if I may say, they are hard at work.  Coach Liz and Thad's office fell victim to Secret Santa's magic and over night it was transformed into a Happy Holiday zone spreading Christmas cheer to all that entered.  And to Coach Hargis's dismay, he is still unaware of who has been sneaking him presents throughout the week. 

In addition to Secret Santa, the women's team spent Sunday evening participating in a cookie exchange.  We may have discovered our inner Betty Crocker's this past weekend baking the dozens of cookies and "bark" that flooded the dining room table.  Since we have extended our stay over Christmas break, we thought it would be a good idea to get together and enjoy each other's company in the presence of cookies.  It wasn't a bad way to spend a Sunday.

With the circulating rumors and speculations over the past few months the Penn State swimming and diving team did their best to remain unaffected and our efforts really showed.  If this is how we face adversity, Big Tens should be pretty amazing to watch when we are in our element and ready for what is to come. 

Heading home on Wednesday doesn't end our long run of excellence.  Look for us over Christmas break down in Naples, Florida where we will spend two weeks training and competing, getting ready for the downhill slope towards Big Tens and NCAAs, as well as Olympic Trials. 

 Happy Holidays to all Penn Staters and their families!

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