BLOOMINGTON, IND. (Feb. 18, 2005) - The Penn State women's swimming and diving team broke another school record and qualified 18 individuals during today's preliminaries at the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind. The finals will begin at 7 p.m. tonight and a link to live results willl be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.

Sophomore Megan Palera (Santa Maria, Calif.) broke her own school record in the 400-yard IM with an NCAA qualifying time of 4:15.35, qualifying first for tonight's finals.

Nittany Lion swimmers qualified first in four of today's five preliminary events. Besides Palera, junior Amberle Biedermann (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the 100 butterfly preliminary with an NCAA "B" time of 53.81, senior Courtney Stanchock (Bloomsburg, Pa.) won the 100 breaststroke preliminary with an NCAA "A" time of 1:01.60 and junior Sarah Haupt (Carlisle, Pa.) won the 100 backstroke with an NCAA "A" time of 54.39.

Sophomore Claire Hawley (Barnstable, Mass.) and senior Larissa Kavchok (Emmaus, Pa.) both qualified for the 400 IM championship finals with NCAA "B" times of 4:19.79 and 4:23.39, respectively. Sophomore Margy Keefe (Cincinnati, Ohio) and freshman Sara DiNardo (McKees Rocks, Pa.) both qualified for the 400 IM consolation finals.

Haupt also qualified for the 100 butterfly championship finals, as did senior Jennifer Eberst (Clifton Park, N.Y.), both with NCAA "B" times. Senior Lauren Semchyshen (New Fairfield, Conn.) qualified for the 100 butterfly consolation finals.

Freshman Lauren Preyss (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) qualified for the 200 freestyle championship finals, and freshman Molly Crispell (Boalsburg, Pa.) qualified for the 200 freestyle consolation finals.

Senior Kristen Woodring (Sinking Spring, Pa.) recorded an NCAA "A" time (1:01.90) and finished second in the 100 breaststroke to qualify for the championship finals with Stanchock and senior Deirdre Dlugonski (Washington, Pa.).

Eberst also qualified for the 100 backstroke championship finals with an NCAA "B" time, and sophomore Chelsea Frank (Bedford, N.H.) and senior Sara Shepherd (Nazareth, Pa.) both qualified for the consolation finals.

For more information on Penn State men's and women's swimming and diving, please visit our official athletics website at www.GoPSUsports.com