Oct. 23, 2007
University Park, Pa. - Pat Schirk of the men's swimming team and Caitlin Meehan of the women's swimming team were named the Big Ten Swimmers of the Week on Tuesday after very successful performances in Penn State's season-opening meet last Thursday against West Virginia. Both swimmers won two individual events, sweeping both races in their respective stroke, and each also swam on a first place 400 medley relay team to help lead both Nittany Lion squads to comfortable wins in the dual meet.
Schrik, who shares the men's swimmer of the week award with Minnesota's Curt Carlson, swept both the 100 and 200 backstrok events, winning the 100 in :50.37 and the 200 in 1:47.33. He also swam the leadoff leg of the first place 400 medley relay team that finished in 3:21.94. It is the first weekly honor from the Big Ten for Schirk, a junior who holds the Penn State school records in both backstroke events and was also part of the team that set a new record in the 400 medley relay last year.
Caitlin Meehan also won her first career Big Ten Swimmer of the Week award after also winning three races, all in an NCAA 'B' time in last week's meet. |
Meehan also picked up her first career Big Ten weekly award after she won both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events and also swam on the first place 400 medley relay team. Her time in the 100 breast of 1:03.33 came in just under the NCAA `B' provisional qualifying time and she was well under the `B' time with a time of 2:16.56 in the 200 breast. The 400 medley relay team also swam an NCAA `B' time of 3:44.03. Meehan also swam on the third place 400 free relay team.
Both Nittany Lion swimming and diving squads will get back into the pools for competition the weekend of November 9-10 when they host Michigan State, Purdue and Virginia in a quad meet at McCoy Natatorium.