Feb. 6, 2009

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 19 Penn State men's swimming and diving team will take to McCoy Natatorium for the last time this season for a dual meet with St. Bonaventure Friday at 4 p.m. The 11 seniors will be honored prior to the first race. Fans are encouraged to come early and wear blue. T-shirts and pizza will be given away at the Code Blue event.

The Nittany Lions are 5-4 on the season. Last weekend they faced national powers Ohio State, Michigan and Northwestern in Columbus, Ohio. Penn State took a win from Northwestern before falling to the Buckeyes and the Wolverines. Next on the schedule is the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., Feb. 26-28.

The Bonnies stand at 6-3 after a close loss to Buffalo. Top swimmers are David Kundzik in freestyle sprints, Mariusz Michalik in breaststroke and IM events and Yi Liu in the butterfly. Each of them have posted top five times in the Atlantic 10 this season while diver Jon Larson has posted the top score in the one-meter springboard.

So far, eight men and eight women have met qualifying standards for the 2009 NCAA Championships. Defending 200 backstroke national champion Patrick Schirk (Pottstown, Pa.) leads the men with four qualifications (100 and 200 back, 400 medley relay and 800 free relay) while seven-time All-American Kelly Nelson (West Chester, Pa.) leads the women with seven (400 and 800 free relays, 200 and 400 medley relays, 200 and 500 free and the 200 butterfly).