Recently in Swimming & Diving Category
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Family, friends, fans, and alumni filled the stands
of McCoy Natatorium this past Saturday as seven swimmers and divers saw their last competition in their home pool against
Towson on senior day.
 Both the swimming and diving teams defeated Towson with final scores of 186-109
on the women's side and 186-101 for the men. However, the score was not the
focus of the meet as much as honoring the seniors who have dedicated their last
four years to bettering the program.
"Today was about the seniors being able to reflect back on their past four
years," head coach John Hargis said. "We
see them now as seniors and remember them as freshman and we think about the
entire process they've been through. These guys are leaving with the program in
unbelievable shape and it's because of people like them. That's what this meet
was about and letting those guys race again in McCoy for the last time."
When the seniors made a commitment to be a part of Penn State's program,
they knew the direction and goals of the program were changing. Each one of
them brought something new to the program and grew into leadership roles that
would impact the team for years to come.
"They've had a tremendous impact," Hargis said. "The leadership they've brought
to the program to all aspects across the board have meant so much to the
program as a whole. Every class is different with the character traits they bring
and there's so many positives you can take from every single class that help
develop the program. What these guys have brought is phenomenal and will be
truly missed."
The leadership that this class brings everyday has contributed to the
success that the team has seen throughout the year. Along with guiding the
team, the seniors have provided a positive example for the other swimmers and
divers to follow for next season.
"What they've taught the young people is going to continue to move this
program forward and that's what you want out of these classes," Hargis said.
"They're going to be missed in so many ways and remembered for what they've
done for Penn State. They're always going to be a part of Penn State. The only
thing that will change is that they won't always be student-athletes."
When sophomore Katelyn Miller came to campus for the first time, these
seniors were among the upperclassmen that helped her find her way in a new
environment.
"They're all positive role models, extremely hard workers, and they want to
help the whole team out," Miller said. "During my freshman year, they were the
one's there to help us through the first few months and continued to be there
the next two years."
One of the aspects of the annual senior meet that makes it so special is
the traditions that are passed down each year. The underclassmen decorate the
locker room and make signs for each senior. Before the meet all of the swimmers
and divers make a human tunnel for the seniors to walk through with their
parents. At the end of the tunnel they receive flowers and a blanket.
"Today has definitely been overwhelming," Amy Modglin said. "When you're a
freshman, sophomore, or junior it's sometimes annoying because you have to do
so much to prepare for this meet, but once you're a senior you're so
appreciative. It's worth doing the traditions for the seniors the other three
years. It means so much to have the girls do all of this for you."
Transitioning from watching the traditions to actually being a part of
them, Alex Marchinski enjoyed participating in them as a senior.
"It's definitely different having the traditions be for you," Marchinski
said. "I never thought I'd reach that
point and knowing how hard I worked to get to this point makes it nice to be
recognized for the work I've put in."
For captain Paige Whitmire, experiencing senior day from the other side
still does not seem real to her.
"It hasn't hit me yet that it's me as a senior," Whitmire said. "You go
along wondering if I'm ever going to get to that point or if I'm ever going to
make it to the end. It felt so good to be recognized, but I was sad. I tried to
make the most of the situation rather than getting upset, but it feels good to know
that it's finally me."
As a sophomore, Meredith Harbison saw this day as motivation for what's to
come at the end of her career.
"It was sad to watch," Harbison said. "It's so hard while you're going
through the practices but you see what they have done and what they have
accomplished and it motivates me to keep pushing through. All of these seniors
have led by example and we've really gotten to know them through their
leadership."
With a short break from competition, the next time the Nittany Lions dive
off the blocks will be in Minneapolis, Minn. for the women and Bloomington,
Ind. for the men at Big Tens where the seniors will participate in their last
championship season.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the past four years, seven swimming and
diving seniors have set their alarm clocks for 5 a.m., made the sacrifices
necessary to excel both in the classroom and in the pool, and they have put in
countless hours of work each season. This weekend family, friends, and alumni
will come together to honor these seniors in the meet against Towson on
Saturday.
 Although there may have been hard times along the way, they only have a
few more weeks before they can say that they've made it through all four years
as a student-athlete. These seniors have made sacrifices day in and day out,
they've learned what it means to be a team player, they've paved the way for
underclassmen to follow for years to come.
All of the seniors have their own reasons for getting started, but they
all have the same reasons for sticking with it for so long. Whether it be the
relationships they've built along the way or a pure passion for the sport, the
seniors have stuck together through it all and have grown together from their
experiences over the years.
When Merritt Krawczyk first jumped in the water when she was 5
years-old, she had no clue that her career would take her to NCAAs, give her
the opportunity to compete at U.S. Olympic Trials, and have her name written on
the record board next to the 100 breastroke and 200 individual medley.
"I started swimming with a summer league team just for fun," Krawczyk
said. "I didn't really start thinking about swimming in college until I was in
middle school."
When Krawczyk started looking at schools, her
recruiting trip to Penn State was last minute.
"I didn't have a trip planned," Krawczyk said. "I cancelled one of my other
trips and I hadn't really heard of Penn State but decided to go on a trip
anyway. When I got here, I fell in love with it and it really felt like home."
Captain Amy Modglin started swimming when she needed a change from
ballet lessons. However, she knew that swimming would be a part of her life
right from the start.
"I thought I would stick with swimming almost immediately," Modglin
said. "I loved swimming and just being in the water, I never really saw it
ending."
Now that her career is actually coming to an end, Modglin says that
she's going to enjoy these last few moments with her teammates.
"It's really a bittersweet feeling," Modglin said. "We're sad it's
coming to an end and we're excited to start the next chapter. There's no
greater feeling than touching the wall and seeing that time that you've worked
all year for so I'm going to take advantage of all the opportunities and not wish
it all away. I've been given great opportunities so I want to use the rest of
the meets to give back to the program that has built me as a person and given
me so much."
Of the four schools Modglin looked at, Penn State had the best
combination of academics and athletics. She also wanted to be a part of a team
on the rise.
"I knew the team was building and John (Hargis) made that clear that it
would be a building process," Modglin said. "He said if you want to be part of that
process, this is where you want to be and he definitely held true to his word."
Modglin made an immediate impact her freshman year as the only female to
make NCAAs and continued to contribute as she represented the U.S.A in the 2011
World University Games in China. She was also voted team captain for the past
two years.
Co-captain with Modglin, Paige Whitmire has grown into her leadership
role and has noticed a significant change in her role as a senior compared to
her freshman year.
"When I was a freshman, I had a negative attitude and I didn't feel like
I had any leadership," Whitmire said. "This year being a captain I always want
to set a good example and not let any bad attitude be shown. I've learned to
put others first and focus on the whole team."
Whitmire has become a huge contributor and leader in the sprint events
where she holds the school record in the 50 free. However, she didn't always
think that it would be possible to swim at Penn State.
"I grew up as a Penn State baby going to all of the football games but I
never thought it was a possibility to swim here. When the coaches gave me the
opportunity, no other school compared to how beautiful the campus is or the
opportunities that come with swimming and after I graduate."
As these athletes finish this chapter of their life, Amy Lewis has to remind
herself to take advantage of every opportunity over the next few weeks.
"We are given so much and it makes me thankful that I could be apart of
this team," Lewis said. "I gained a family, sense of pride, discipline, how to
work with others and learning time management. There's so much we learn that
you can apply to everyday life that I sometimes take for granted."
Similar to Lewis, Ann Ragan Kearns will take the experiences she's had
over the past four years and apply them to other areas of her life.
"The most rewarding part of being on this team was not necessarily my
times or meets that I attended, but the lifelong friendships I created as well
as the life long lessons that I have learned from being a member of a D-1
program," Kearns said.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Kearns is excited to be on the other side
of the senior meet as it will be her turn to enjoy the traditions.
"I'm looking forward to all of the traditions that come along with the senior
meet," Kearns said. "I've always participated in them when I was an
underclassman but honestly I never thought this day would come and it's
exciting that it's our turn now."
On the men's side, Jeff Gomez and diver Alex Marchinski will be
recognized during this weekend's senior meet.
Marchinski has proven leadership for the divers over the course of his
career as a main contributor for the Nittany Lions. He led the team on the
one-meter boards at the Tennessee Invitational and put up several outstanding
performances along the way.
Sticking with a sport for 14 years is no easy task, but through all of
his experiences, Gomez has learned a great deal of commitment.
"I always remind myself of a saying - no matter how hard it gets, always
finish what you started," Gomez said. "I know when I finish there will be a
certain sense of gratification that you can't experience any other way."
The meet this weekend will give the seniors one last chance to represent
Penn State at home. The swimmers and divers are excited to see their parents,
family, friends, and alumni come out and support them this Saturday as they
compete against Towson at McCoy Natatorium. Competition is set to start at 1
p.m.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's swimming and diving teams
defeated Navy with a final score of 188-112 on Saturday.
 Going into the meet, the men knew they were going to have to win close races to
come out with a victory. Last time they faced Navy, the men let too many of those
close races get away from them; however that wasn't the case this time around.
"The biggest thing I saw in terms of change was we're winning close
races," head coach John Hargis said. "That's a good habit for us to get into.
It's an area that we've needed to improve all year and it seemed today we were
winning some close races where we needed to."
The swimmers and divers knew what it felt like to lose by only 10
points last year and they fought to make sure they wouldn't have a repeat of
the last time they raced Navy.
"The guys as a whole were not going to get beat today," Hargis said.
"That was the mentality they came in with and they did what they needed to do.
They had a chip on their shoulder and they wanted to set a statement. I think
they did that today. They swam well and we had some of the best in-season swims
that we've had all year."
The Nittany Lions kept the loss from last year in the back of their
minds and used that to help them mentally prepare over the past week for this
meet.
"As a whole, I thought we did really well today," Nick Ankosko said. "Last
year we had a big upset so we came into this meet prepared and we wanted to
make sure that they knew that we are here and ready to do work."
The swimmers did not waste any time making a statement as they opened
the meet by setting a new pool record in the 200-medley relay. Nate Savoy swam
the backstroke leg and got them off to an early lead. James Wilson followed with
the breastroke leg to Sean Grier, who swam butterfly. Shane Austin anchored with
a strong freestyle leg.
"It was an awesome feeling getting the pool record," Wilson said. "It's
a big deal for me but most of the other guys already have a pool record. We are
where we want to be in this event for right now and this will help our
confidence for Big Tens. We were top five last year and we want to be even
better this year."
Setting two pool records in one day, Grier reached another goal of
his in the 100 Butterfly by getting under the 48-second mark by .02 seconds.
"It feels good to get another pool record," Grier said. "I've been
looking at that time for the past two and a half years so it's nice to finally
get it. Coming into the meet I was just thinking about swimming fast. We only have
this meet and one more meet so I just thought about breaking the 48-second
barrier."
With another meet coming up next weekend, the swimmers and divers will spend
the next few days fine-tuning their technique and preparing to race again on
Saturday.
"We're going to get more rest with taper coming up," Ankosko said.
"We're also going to pay more attention to the details of our racing. We've
already put in the work so now it's time to look at the little things like
starts and turns to help us improve."
The Nittany Lions will be back in action at McCoy Natatorium on Feb. 2
at 1 p.m. as they host Towson. This meet will be the annual senior meet and
there will be a short ceremony to honor the seniors before the meet starts.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY
PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's swimming and diving team came out with a win
over Navy on Saturday, finishing with a final score of 185-107.
 The
last time the Nittany Lions competed, they fell short to a strong Arkansas
team. However, the women did not let this loss keep them down for long. They
opened the meet going 1-2-3 in the 200-medley relay.
"It
sets the tone," head coach John Hargis said. "You win that first relay, the
momentum continues at that point. A couple weeks ago in Arkansas we lost that
first relay which is not something we're used to doing. It immediately deflated
them and you could see that in the next few swims."
Senior
Paige Whitmire also noted how crucial winning the first relay is in order to
set up the rest of the meet, especially since the 200-medley relay is the first
event at Big Tens.
"It's
important to set the tone for any meet and it's also good practice for Big Tens
because that's the ultimate goal," Whitmire said. "We want to get out fast so
the other girls are psyched up to go fast too."
Building
off of the momentum of the first relay, the women gained confidence to close
out the meet strong by re-establishing the strength they have shown throughout
the whole season and were able to walk away from the meet with a 78-point
victory.
"I
think today they swam with a little bit more confidence than they did at
Arkansas," Hargis said. "I think they remembered that loss at Arkansas and
wanted to re-evaluate, move forward and get passed that."
One
aspect of competing that the coaches have continued to stress is the importance
of finishing races strong and capitalizing on the closer races. In some meets,
the difference between a win and a loss can come down to one close race.
"The
biggest thing I saw in terms of change was we're winning close races," Hargis
said. "That's a good habit for us to get into. It's an area that we've needed
to improve all year and it seemed today that we were winning some of the close
races that we needed to win."
The
divers also saw success on the boards with Megan Springsteen leading the way.
She finished the meet winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter events.
"The
meet went well for us today," Springsteen said. "I had a new dive on the
3-meter that I've been working on and I was happy to be able to do it
successfully. We've been breaking down dives and making little improvements
that add up to big differences. All of this will help my confidence going into
Big Tens."
With
only one dual meet left for the season, emotions are starting to set in for
some of the seniors. Whitmire, who started swimming 15 years ago, has a mix of emotions
especially as the end gets closer and closer.
"Swimming
D-1 is really hard while you're doing it and your waiting for it to be over, but
when it comes down to the end you really don't want it to be over," Whitmire
said. "I'm sad, I'm excited, I'm nervous because I want to end on a good note,
but I'm mostly sad."
The
Nittany Lions have a quick turn around with another meet coming up next weekend.
Resting when they are not training and focusing on small details will help them
prepare for another opportunity to race.
"We're
going to need to focus on the little things in practice," Chelsea Weedman said.
"We'll need to continue working on our nutrition and getting enough sleep to
prepare for the next few weeks."
The swimmers and divers will take on Towson on Feb. 2. The six senior women
will be recognized in a ceremony before the meet starts at 1 p.m.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion swimming and diving teams are back
in action this weekend as they take on Navy and host one of their last dual
meets of the season.
 Coming off of a travel meet to Fayetteville, Ark. the swimmers and divers
took the last two weeks to sharpen their skills and put in more hard work while
keeping in mind their goals for the end of the season. Navy last competed
against the University of North Carolina on Jan. 12 and looks to rebound after
tough loses to the No. 16-ranked team.
Welcoming Navy to McCoy Natatorium, the swimmers and divers will use the
opportunity to race in a dual meet setting for one of the last times this year
before they shave and taper for the championship meets.
With Big Tens right around the corner, the Nittany Lions' practices have
not lightened up for these next two dual meets. Senior Amy Lewis says that they
have already started a countdown for Big Tens and that has remained the focus
of their training.
"We've been doing a lot more fast sets in practice with high intensity,"
Lewis said. "We're going into this meet with a mindset that it's going to be
fun to get up and race, but our mind is more on Big Tens. That's where we will
get our excitement from."
This meet marks the second season in a row that Penn State will face Navy. Last
year, the women came out victorious over Navy but the men fell short losing by
a small margin of 10 points. This year, Navy will come into the meet with a 6-2
record for the women's team and a 5-4 record on the men's side.
Helping to lead the men's side, sophomore Nate Savoy has stepped up throughout
the season and swam to four NCAA "B" cuts at the Georgia Invitational in
December. Hoping to finish the season strong, Savoy says his goal is to swim
towards his fastest in-season best times.
"I'm excited to get the chance to race and be in a home meet environment
this weekend," Savoy said. "We have to be able to finish the season on a good
note so we're aiming to go some of our fastest times in-season. It'll be fun to
have parents and fans in the stands, which we don't always get when we travel."
In addition to a strong home crowd, having a supportive group of more than 60
swimmers and divers helps to set up an exciting environment that is different
from the usual practice setting. Freshman Jenna Bickel noted this aspect of the
team right away.
"I love how supportive this team is," Bickel said. "We're a close team and
the upperclassmen have always been welcoming. We try to stand and cheer for the
whole meet because it creates a much more exciting environment and one that
will help us race faster."
For several seniors on the team, this meet brings up mixed emotions since
they will only have two more opportunities to race in the pool that they have
spent countless hours training in over the past four years.
"I'm glad our last two meets are at home especially since it's right before
Big Tens," Lewis said. "I'm excited for this weekend but it also gives me
chills knowing I don't have many meets left."
This meet will be a Code Blue Blast event to encourage more students to
attend. They will earn points towards the reward system and can be entered to
win Bon Jovi tickets. Competition starts at 11 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 26.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The countdown begins until the Penn State
swimmers and divers have the opportunity to put all of their hard work to the
test at the 2013 Big Ten Championships. Until then, the Nittany Lions will have
two more chances to compete in dual meets over the next few weeks.
 The women start their championship season in 32 days in Minneapolis,
Minn., while the men compete 39 days from now in Bloomington, Ind. The swimmers
and divers will use the dual meets against Navy and Towson to fine-tune all the
details they have been practicing day in and day out to ensure they are
prepared for Big Tens.
Junior Mackenzie Powers looks forward to the dual meets coming up and
plans to use them as rehearsals for competing in one of the top championship
meets in the nation next month.
"I think having the opportunity to race and work on the small things,
like starts and turns, throughout the season helps us prepare for when Big Tens
comes around," Powers said. "These last two meets will be especially important
because they are some of our last chances to race before we rest and taper."
Throughout the season, the swimmers and divers have traveled to five
different states not only for competition, but also to feel what it will be
like to swim in an unfamiliar setting after spending a day traveling.
Powers says that their travel trips to Indiana and Georgia earlier this
season were good indications for what is to come at the end of the season.
"As a team we've had a lot of really good meets where we came together and
we could all see that we were going in the direction of the goals that we have
set," Powers said. "The next two meets will be important for us as well in that
aspect to see where we are compared to how much time we have left before Big
Tens."
In addition to getting used to traveling and competing at new sites,
dual meets also help to prepare the athlete mentally for the challenges that
Big Tens will bring. The swimmers and divers must be ready to compete for four
days despite any fatigue they may feel from racing multiple times.
Matthew Salig says that dual meets help him prepare mentally as well as
physically for the end of the season.
"Dual meets have three to four races on one day whereas the events at
Big Tens are spread out a little bit more," Salig said. "This helps us mentally
prepare for Big Tens knowing that we were able to race more times in one day at
other meets earlier in the season."
An important aspect that the Nittany Lions established early in the
season is creating an exciting atmosphere by standing on their feet and
cheering their teammates on throughout the whole meet.
"Dual meets gives us a different kind of energy than if we just raced
each other in practice," Salig said. "Our goal at dual meets is to create an atmosphere
that is similar to Big Tens by getting behind each other."
Powers agrees with how important it is to use the atmosphere that her
teammates create to help get through some of the tough dual meets throughout
the season.
"Dual meets are just fun to get behind each other, especially in the
meets where we are tired and we have to use the energy from our teammates to
get us through," Powers said. "It's important situations like these where we
see everyone is in it together and that we are all working towards a common
goal that is going to help us reach our goals at Big Tens."
Starting the pre-season in August and ending the championship season in
March with NCAA Championships, the swimmers and divers have to find ways to
stay motivated through smaller meets before they get to the big shave and taper
meets.
"I try to remember feelings I've had in the past like dropping a good
race for my team to stay motivated," Salig said. "Knowing that you have
teammates going through the same practices with you and racing with you at the
end of the season helps me stay focused on our goals."
Next on their schedule, the swimmers and divers will welcome Navy to
McCoy Natatorium on Jan. 26. The following weekend continues the tradition of
the annual senior meet, which is against Towson on Feb. 2. Then the women will have 18 days before they open
their championship and take what they have learned through dual meet season to
compete against other Big Ten contenders.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the fall season behind them and the
championship season still to come, the swimmers and divers traveled to unique
locations to focus on quality training during the winter break.
The
swimmers took an eight-day trip down to Naples, Fla. where they got the
opportunity to train outdoors. The divers went to an invitational meet at the
University of Tennessee where they spent four days competing against some of
the top SEC schools.
The
annual training trip and invitational meet has become a tradition for the men's
and women's swimming and diving teams that helps the team bond, enjoy a
different location, and gear up for the end of the season meets that are just a
few weeks away.
"While
we were in Florida, our goals and competing at Big Tens were always on our
minds," said sophomore Allie Roberts. "Training trip is so hard that we use Big
Tens as a way to push through the week and remember what we are working
towards."
Sophomore
Megan Siverling agrees with Roberts that Big Tens was a major focus of training
trip, but Siverling adds that the training trip will help the confidence of
everyone on the team when it comes time to compete.
"Training
trip really prepares us for Big Tens because spending eight days doing nothing
but hard training gives you the physical base and the confidence to do well at
Big Tens," said Siverling. "There's been a huge difference from my freshman
year to this year because I know what to expect. It helped me prepare better
for what was coming."
The
Nittany Lions finished off the tough training regime by competing against the
University of North Carolina while still in Naples. The event format for this
year was unusual but still provided the swimmers a great opportunity to compete
against a top ACC school.
The
events took relay styles, but only one of the events would actually be swum at
Big Tens - the 200 medley relay. The other events were 3x100 relay of
butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke, a 500 freestyle relay, and a 3x500
freestyle relay.
Although
the meet was not scored, the women won the 200-medley relay and the 3x100 breaststroke
relay. The men won four out of the six events, including the 200 medley relay,
3x100 butterfly relay, 3x100 backstroke relay, and the 3x100 breaststroke
relay.
While
the swimmers were competing in Florida, the divers started their competition in
Tennessee. Megan Springsteen and Emily Stotesbery both participated in the
one-meter and three-meter competitions. Alex Marchinski led the men's side
finishing 22nd while T.J. Schenkel followed close behind with a 30th
place finish on the three-meter boards. Diver Joe Spinelli enjoyed the
opportunity to gain confidence in a competitive environment while learning from
some of the best divers in the country.
"I
enjoyed meeting divers from other teams and seeing what I can learn from them,"
said Spinelli. "This helps for the end of the season because I get to compete
in another meet setting and the extra practice during the break let me solely
focus on diving."
With
another meet coming up this weekend, Roberts looks forward to taking the work
she put in over training trip and using it to help her race.
"Coming
off of training trip, we will have a lot more confidence since we put in so
much work," Roberts said. "We can take that training and put it towards the
meet and competing against the other schools.
The
swimmers and divers will be back in action on Jan. 12 as they travel down to
Fayetteville, Ark. where they will compete against Arkansas and Missouri State.
Competition is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The men's swimming and diving team continues to
build momentum after exceptional dual meet performances that led up to the
Georgia Invitational in early December.
Head Coach John Hargis said that he is pleased with how the year has
gone so far.
 "I think we've done really well. We've shown good progress through the
year," Hargis said. "We've shown a good adaptation to the training this year. I
think there are still some areas to improve that were glowing when we were down
in Georgia racing against the very best."
The swimmers and divers came out with a win against West Virginia for their
first dual meet. Then the Nittany Lions stayed home to host Villanova with
another easy victory. After that, they traveled to Indiana to take on a top ACC
team and another Big Ten contender at the tri meet against Virginia and Indiana.
They came up just short of wins against these two schools.
The swimmers and divers did not let that stop them from performing well
most recently at the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Ga. The men had one of the
best opportunities they have ever seen to race several top ranked teams in the
country. They came in fifth against Auburn, Georgia, Harvard, California,
Virginia Tech, and Virginia.
"We've been doing really well for both the guys and the girls," Andrew
Sideras said. "It's good to be ranked so high because we've been working so
hard. We have a lot of new kids that are already making an impact."
The results of the Georgia Invite led to a jump in their ranking in the
College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll (20th).
Hargis said that he tries not to pay too much attention to the rankings
but knows what they do during championship season is what really matters.
"I did see them and I think it's a compliment to the program and the
kids and the hard work they've put in by being identified by outside people for
their hard work," Hargis said. "Ultimately no matter where you're ranked we've
got to be ready to swim fast in February and March and I think the kids
understand that."
The men finished the Georgia Invite with 15 NCAA B cut performances. The
NCAA comes up with two sets of time standards at the beginning of each season
called A cuts and B cuts. An A cut guarantees the person a chance to swim at
the NCAA Championships in March. The time standards for A cuts are much faster
and very few swimmers across the nation reach this standard. At that point,
swimmers with B cuts will be selected based on their times from fastest to
slowest until the designated number of spots are filled.
Sophomore Nick Ankosko was among those who raced past the NCAA B time
standards in the 500 free and 1,650 free.
"These B cuts mean a lot to me," Ankosko said. "It's a relief to have
gotten two cuts out of the way at this point in the season. Now I can focus
more on moving closer to getting my A cuts at the end of the season."
Ankosko has also faced changes in his training this year, but is
excited to see these changes pay off in his racing.
"I have been really happy with how this season has gone for me so far,"
Ankosko said. "The coaches have me trying a type of training that is different
than what I'm used to and I feel it has been working great for me in meets."
Hargis has enjoyed watching the swimmers succeed and working together
as a team, but is also eager to continue working on the weaknesses to end the
rest of the season strong.
"Seeing them really relate to their teammates and get behind them and
really bond as a team has been fun to watch," Hargis said. "Seeing the rewards
of their work each time we race was exciting. We will continue to make the
proper adjustments that we have to make and continue to train at a level that
is in relation to the goals that the kids have in front of them."
With a successful start to their season, the men will continue to put
in the work that they've been putting in all year. The swimmers will have the
opportunity to do this at their annual training trip in Naples, Fla. starting
Dec. 28 and ending Jan. 5.
While they are there, they will take on the North Carolina on Jan. 3 in
a dual meet. The divers will compete in Knoxville, Tenn. Jan. 3-5 for the
Tennessee Collegiate Diving Invitational.
By Chelsea Howard, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's swimming and diving team
is off to a strong start its season. With a rigorous preseason, several meets and
then an invitational against some of the best teams in the country, there is no
stopping the Nittany Lions from working extremely hard at reaching their
goals.
 Head coach John Hargis said the athletes have done very well up until
this point, but there is still some room for improvement.
"I think we've shown good progress through the year," Hargis said.
"We've shown a good adaptation to the training this year. I think there are
still some areas to improve that were glowing when we were down in Georgia
racing against the very best."
The women started the season off with a win against West Virginia in
October, then hosted Villanova at home, also ending with a win. The swimmers
and divers continued to gain in season racing experience as they went to
Indiana to race Indiana and Virginia. With each meet, the times continued to
come down and their confidence levels continued to go up leading into the
Georgia Invitational.
Their most recent competition featured teams from all across the
country, including Auburn, Georgia, Harvard, California, Virginia Tech, and Virginia.
The Nittany Lions took advantage of the opportunity to race against some of the
top ranked teams in the country.
"The best part so far has been being able to race and keep up with some
of the top teams in the nation at the Georgia Invite," Caitlyn Karr said.
For Hargis, the highlight of the season has been seeing the success and
rewards of their hard work pay off after each race.
"I've enjoyed watching the kids succeed," Hargis said. "The hard work
the kids go through on a daily basis, seeing them swim well, seeing them smile,
and seeing them enjoy the process has been exciting."
Since the swimming and diving teams are well into the season, the freshman
are starting to get used to this style of racing and training. Megan Siverling
has noticed this especially in Alyson Ackman.
"Aly Ackman has been a huge contributor to the team so far," Siverling
said. "She's ranked first in the Big Ten in the 100 free, 200 free, and 500
free and posted several NCAA B cuts."
The NCAA comes up with two sets of time standards at the beginning of
each season called A cuts and B cuts. An A cut guarantees the person a chance
to swim at the NCAA Championships in March. The time standards for A cuts are
much faster and very few swimmers across the nation reach this standard. At
that point, swimmers with B cuts will be selected based on their times from
fastest to slowest until the designated number of spots are filled.
Ackman swam to three individual NCAA B times in the 100-yard freestyle,
200-yard freestyle, and 500-yard freestyle. She was also part of the 800-yard
freestyle relay (along with Kaitlin Jones, Caitlyn Karr, and Gabi Shishkoff)
and 400-yard freestyle relay (along with Carolyn Fittin, Kaitlin Jones, and
Paige Whitmire) that posted times under the NCAA B time standards.
"This season has been really fun for me but also hard," Ackman said.
"I've loved the support of the team. I was the captain of the last team I was
on and there were problems with negativity and I saw the difference being
positive makes. I've been trying to bring that experience to make a difference
on this team."
Looking ahead for what's to come later in February, Ackman is already
excited for Big Tens.
"I can't wait to see where we place against the other Big Ten teams,"
Ackman said. "After seeing what I went in season at Georgia, I can't wait to
see what will happen when I'm rested and fully tapered."
The College Swim Coaches Association of America has released the latest
NCAA Women's Division I rankings, and the Penn State women have moved up to the
12th spot.
Hargis said he tries not to pay too much attention to the rankings that
came out this past week, although he has seen them.
"I think it's a compliment to the program and the kids and the hard
work they put in," Hargis said. "Ultimately no matter where you're ranked,
we've got to be ready to swim fast in February and March and I think the kids
understand that."
Up next for the swimmers is a trip to Naples, Fla. for their annual
training trip. After several days of hard work, the Nittany Lions will take on
the North Carolina on Jan. 5 while still in Florida. The divers will spend a
few days in Knoxville, Tenn. for the Tennessee Collegiate Diving Invitational.
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