STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The #13 Penn State women's swim team will send twelve student-athletes to the University of Texas for the NCAA National Championships set to take place from Thursday, March 21 through Saturday, March 23. Twelve swimmers are the most swimmers Penn State has ever sent to the Championships.

The following swimmers will be heading to Texas: Sally Anderson (So. Somerset, N.J.), Katie Bruzda (Jr. Latrobe, Pa.) Piper Chamberlin (Sr. Grand Junction, Colo.), Corrie Clark (So. Malvern, Pa.) Deirdre Dlugonski (Fr. Washington, Pa.), Jen Eberst (Fr. Clifton Park, N.Y.), Katie Hostetler (Jr. Chambersburg, Pa.), Erin Mulshenock (Fr. New Castle, Del.), Maggie O'Brien (So. Minnetonka, Minn.), Courtney Stanchock (Fr. Bloomsburg, Pa.), Kristin Weinhold (Jr. Durham, N.C.), and Kristen Woodring (So. Sinking Spring, Pa.).

In all, Penn State will send one senior, three juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen.

With such a large contingent the Lions will be looking to improve on their 11th place finish of a year ago. Three members of last year's All-America 200 medley relay team return, while Corrie Clark, who earned All-American status in the 100 butterfly (6th) and Kristen Woodring, who earned All-American in the 100 breaststroke (3rd) also return. All will look to better their placing of a year ago.

Penn State highest seeding is in the 200 free relay with the fourth best time. The Lions are seeded ninth in the 400 medley relay and 13th in the 200 medley relay. Several swimmers are seeded in the top ten. Woodring is seeded eighth in the 100 breaststroke, while Clark is seeded tenth in the 200 breaststroke. In all Penn State has a swimmer in every event except two relays (400 and 800 free relay).

The Nittany Lions are coming off their first Big Ten Championship title and will look to ride the momentum of the Big Ten victory into the NCAA Championships. At Big Tens, Penn State managed to have a swimmer score in every swim event contested and had three or more people score in one event eight times. In all, the Nittany Lions won seven events and swam six NCAA automatic times.

Penn State's Big Ten victory capped a dramatic improvement in the program. Five years ago the Lions finished last in the Big Ten (11th). In the following years Penn State steadily improved by placing 8th, 5th, 4th, 2nd and eventually 1st. With a record number of swimmers competing at this year's NCAA Championships, Penn State will look to assert itself as one of the top ten swim programs in the country. A remarkable turnaround from a mere five years ago.

The Championships will be televised Thursday, March 28 at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN2 and on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

The NCAA Championships will begin Thursday with preliminaries beginning at 11:00 a.m. and finals at 7:00 p.m. The same time format will be followed on Friday and Saturday. For live results log on to www.texassports.com and for periodic updates check www.gopsusports.com.

For full meet notes click here.